After engaging in "negotiations" with pro-terrorism rioters on their campus for nearly two weeks, Columbia University has officially cancelled the school wide commencement ceremony over "security concerns."
"The University wide Commencement ceremonies, initially scheduled for May 15, have been canceled, and Class Days will take place at the Baker Athletics Complex and other off-campus locations, according to a Monday announcement," the Columbia Spectator reports. "The decision was based on discussions between deans, faculty who work directly with students, and student leaders."
"Class Day ceremonies usually take place on South Lawn, where the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' was located for nearly two weeks before it was dismantled immediately following the New York Police Department’s April 30 sweep of occupied Hamilton Hall," the reporting continues. "The decision to move Class Days and cancel the Commencement ceremonies follows several University communications that stressed the urgency of dismantling the encampment in order to allow Commencement to occur on campus. As the encampment continued on the west side of South Lawn after the April 18 NYPD sweep of the first encampment, the University set up bleachers on Low Steps and covered the east side of South Lawn."
Columbia cancels May 15 graduation ceremony pic.twitter.com/6PEvyYsNDb
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 6, 2024
"These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for our community. Just as we are focused on making our graduation experience truly special, we continue to solicit student feedback and are looking at the possibility of a festive event on May 15 to take the place of the large, formal ceremony. We are eager to all come together for our graduates and celebrate our fellow Columbians as they, and we, look ahead to the future. We will share more in the coming days," the university released in a statement Monday morning.
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The move is not being received well and is being categorized as yet another failure of Columbia "leadership" to put down the mob on behalf of a majority of students.
Pathetic - Columbia University cancels commencement ceremony out of mob fears.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 6, 2024
The failures of this administration, including by the Board of Trustees, have reached a new low.
This is awful. It represents a leadership failure by the “grown ups” who run Columbia.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) May 6, 2024
It’s a shame that fewer than 1% of the students can do this to 99% of their fellow students.
The leaders of Columbia brought this on themselves through weakness.
https://t.co/87It4HE0P0
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