NEW DELHI: After being marred by days of pro- Palestine demonstrations by students in US universities, hundreds of students adorning completion robes walked out of Harvard initiation service chanting “free, completely Palestine” on Thursday.
The university announced the day afterward that 13 students who took part in pro-Palestine protests did not receive their diploma. Expressing help for their peers, individuals chanted” Letting them walk, let them walk”, urging the authority to allow those 13 individuals to receive their diplomas.
The top governing board of Harvard made the recommendation on Monday that the 13 students be allowed to grad despite their contribution in the camp. However, according to Harvard, each of the 13 students ‘ activities during the camp protest had violated university regulations.
In a written statement, it stated that” we take notice that the express provisions of the Harvard College Student Handbook state that individuals who are not in good standing are not ready for levels.”
‘ Harvard do you speak us?’
Student speech Shruthi Kumar expressed disappointment over the university’s handling of the protest, saying that this quarter our freedom of speech and our emotions of solidarity were punished.
” I am greatly disappointed by the tolerance for the right to legal disobedience on campus,” she said.
” This is about legal rights and upholding political rules”, she said. ” The kids had spoken. The instructors had spoken. Harvard do you speak us”?, she added.
‘Protests are healthy, shouldn’t be violent or silenced’
Speaking to the graduates at the ceremony, speaker Maria Ressa, a journalist and supporter of press freedom, said that you do n’t know who you are until you are tested and fight for your beliefs. Because that identifies who you are.
” People in America is being tested by the college protests. Rallies are good. They should n’t be violent. They should n’t be silenced”, she added.
( With inputs from AP )
