Handful of students protest war in Gaza at UW-Madison commencement

A handful of students quietly protested the war in Gaza at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s commencement Saturday, but the annual graduation ceremony inside Camp Randall Stadium otherwise proceeded without disruption.

Thousands of students donned black and red caps and gowns, filling the length and width of the field at Camp Randall, while thousands of observers filled the seats in the lower and upper decks of the stadium. At different points during the event, those in the crowd sang along to “Sweet Caroline,” “Jump Around” and “Varsity,” all mainstays of UW celebrations.

The first signs of protest happened when UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin began her speech. Roughly 20 students stood and turned their backs to Mnookin, and two students draped a Palestinian flag over their backs.

Others displayed messages painted on the top of their caps, including “Free Palestine” and “There are no universities in Gaza.”

Later in the program, a group of students carrying a Palestinian flag quietly left the arena, escorted by police. There was no noticeable shouting as they left, and graduation speakers continued as scheduled without interruption.

The university had previously warned students that they could face suspension or even arrest if they disrupted graduations. UW-Madison spokesperson Kelly Tyrrell said the university “will be addressing any potential conduct violations,” but did not immediately say whether any students who demonstrated Saturday would face disciplinary action.

“It was a small handful of the many thousands of graduates who attended that chose to express themselves and they did not disrupt the ceremony,” Tyrrell said in an email. “It was a beautiful day to celebrate Badger grads and their families.”

The quiet protests came a day after pro-Palestinian student organizers reached an agreement with Mnookin and other administrators to end an encampment that had stood on the UW-Madison’s Library Mall for nearly two weeks. As part of the agreement, leaders of the group Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, pledged not to disrupt commencement activities.

Protesters had been calling for the school to disclose how it invests its endowment, and to end investments in Israeli companies or those whose products have been used in service of the Israeli military. In their agreement with students, campus leaders said the UW had “limited authority over how our endowment is invested,” but committed to “facilitate access to relevant decision-makers at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.”

The quiet resolution to the standoff, and the relative calm during commencement, were a departure from a week ago, when on May 1, Mnookin gave the go-ahead to police to remove tents from the encampment, leading to a clash that saw 34 people arrested, including both students and professors. Most were released with citations that day, but four people were processed at the Dane County Jail.

It also stood in contrast to other universities across the country, where police continued to make arrests and clear encampments.