(NewsInsights.org) – Pro-Palestinian protests disrupted graduation preparations and ceremonies throughout the nation over the May 4 weekend. One Democratic governor experienced a demonstration firsthand, becoming overwhelmed at a local restaurant by protesters as she and her family tried to celebrate her daughter’s college graduation.
Protesters accosted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) at the Ypsilanti location of Bobcat Bonnie’s, an upscale local chain of restaurants. She was there with her family after her daughter graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.
Gretchen Whitmer harassed at her daughter’s graduation by woman with the most unpleasant voice from all these protests, and that’s saying a lot. pic.twitter.com/SuwAa3VnW1
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) May 5, 2024
Demonstrators walked into the restaurant screaming, “How do you justify genocide?” to get the governor’s attention. Whitmer addressed the group directly, asking them not to disrupt the business and telling them she was there that day with her family to celebrate her daughter’s graduation. Protesters responded to her by asking what she intended to do about all the children in mass graves in Gaza and what actions she was taking.
Full statement released Friday from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on university protests over Israel: https://t.co/sEej6qIhSa pic.twitter.com/7AmwBPl1Hs
— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) May 1, 2024
Whitmer responded to campus protests ahead of the graduation by releasing a statement to the Detroit Free Press on April 26. She called the “hateful rhetoric” that media outlets had documented on campuses nationwide “unacceptable.” She stressed the importance of maintaining safe environments.
Additionally, she acknowledged that her state, which has the largest percentage of Arab-Americans in the nation and a sizeable Jewish population, was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain from the Gaza conflict. However, she expressed confidence in both communities’ abilities to work together toward peaceful solutions in their local communities.
Across the nation, several campuses called in police to clear encampments. Some university administrators claimed that outside infiltrators had breached campus security and began using violent tactics, leaving them no choice. Police arrested several students as a result.
The University of Vermont and Dickinson College canceled their commencement speakers in a bid to de-escalate campus tensions. The University of Vermont had invited UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to speak, while Dickinson College had invited CNN commentator Michael Smerconish.
A group of demonstrators disrupted graduation ceremonies at the University of Michigan with calls to disclose and divest from companies with ties to Israel. A plane flying a banner featuring the Palestinian flag and the words “Let Gaza Live” circled above the ceremony at Indiana University at Bloomington.
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