AIBU to say that graduation ceremonies are not the place to make political statements?

Yes, how bizarre that they should use THEIR day to make a statement about something THEY are passionate about! Students should just stop using their brains and thinking altogether, right? It's just genocide, the massacre of innocent people, why do they even care?

The irony of so many people (not all) with useless degrees being so full of their self important that they should use this moment to attract attention to themselves in this day.

No cause needs this hare brained activist types who just like to signal their virtues.

Universities have long been places for political discourse and activist groups. If not there, then where?

Actually it is never inappropriate to speak out against genocide and I'm shocked that you'd think it is. Students have often been on the right side of history, and have often spoken out against injustice and evil in the world. It is THEIR graduation and if they're intelligent, educated and compassionate enough to want to use this important moment in THEIR life to make a statement that they support the oppressed and are against a brutal genocide then good for them. They'll be proud of this moment in the future and I hope they are proud of themselves now.

Yep, Wetherspoons is totally staffed by ex students with degrees in Politics 😂

Did they? Really? So who decided to set up a Jewish State after WW2 then?

I think it sums up most students I’ve met TBH!

Palestinians are being killed, starved, held illegally and displaced in the name of Israel though, and let’s be honest, Israel started it.

Oh the irony of paying a shit load of money to get a degree and then attend an outdated award ceremony where you’re herded like cattle from gown hire to photographer to expensive venue all for your 10 seconds of fame. At the same time, you want to virtue-signal your support of something you know very little about by way of waving a flag in said venue.
Waving a flag will do absolutely nothing to help Palestinians, stop the fighting in the Middle East, shut down Hamas or return the Jewish hostages to their families. Absolutely pathetic.

Wow! Tell us you know nothing young people today without telling us you know nothing about young people today. What an ignoramous you are. I’d love you to meet my DDs.

All those on here saying why would it upset Jewish students, are being more than a tad disingenuous. I repeat that if Synagogues weren't being burnt, swastikas written on buildings, and Jewish people being attacked, all in the name of defending Palestine, it wouldn't be an issue. But being pro Palestine has seen Jewish students attacked on campus. It has made Jewish students a target for hate and racism. It shouldn't be that way. But that's the way it is.

Exactly. And I bet none of them waved a Ukrainian flag.

Exactly. I’m getting sick of it. I even saw anti-Israel sentiments scrawled all on the path in the local park yesterday morning.

That's all well and good, if Synagogues weren't being burnt, swastikas written on buildings, and Jewish people being attacked, all in the name of defending Palestine.

Or maybe they might think what's happening there is none of our business, and we should stay out of the affairs of other countries and worry about our own country.

I don't believe a word of this. Why is no-one flying flags to support the women of Afghanistan if flag flying at graduation ceremonies is acceptable.

It’s unsuitable, unhelpful and vacuous attention seeking. If they care that much they should give money to suitable charities privately, not say ‘look at me and how worthy I think I am’ during a ceremony with a dedicated purpose of its own.

I doubt they could do this at the older universities, where the graduation is highly ceremonial, in Latin, with no stage and you kneel on the floor at the feet of the vice chancellor. It’s timeless and solemn. You feel as if you have stepped into a Renaissance painting.

Also, when the two Arabic boys first stood up, there was a little panic as they started shouting angrily at the whole audience. That's a bit scary.

You're a bit scary, using language like that! What on earth do you mean by ‘Arabic boys’? Arabic is a language. And if you mean Arab, I assume you’re using it as shorthand for Muslim Arabs. You do know that there are Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs as well, don’t you?

My Jewish friends would also unfurl Palestinian flags so probably not too bad.

Anything that relieves the tedium of a graduation ceremony is ok in my book.

This.

This happened at my daughter's graduation last week. Not only did around a dozen students rudely hold a scarf in the face of the woman trying to cap them (don't know the correct word) but two attention seekers then made a huge scene in the closing speech and got people to walk out the ceremony. That was my daughter's graduation and I find these people hard to tolerate. Why not just do it peacefully outside the building. Also, when the two Arabic boys first stood up, there was a little panic as they started shouting angrily at the whole audience. That's a bit scary.

Absolutely the wrong place for politics/demonstration.

And the thing that is the most ridiculous is that waving a flag doesn’t actually help the people in Palestine. It is just a bit of feel good for the idiot waving it.

I always think that this conflict has been raging since before most of us were born and that if there was a simple solution, it would have been done. Additionally aligning oneself with Hamas/Iran is pretty terrifyingly idiotic.

This kind of stunt doesn’t actually do anything and the people in Palestine will still be starving and killed regardless of these stunts.

And I bet they haven't! You don't know anything about them either.........

You know fuck all about them. Whatever you might call a job, I bet many of them have got one.