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

Maybe writing for some zine, yes. Not what I would call a job.

My money is on them being Leftists. Am I right?

On what do you base that judgement? It’s highly likely a fair proportion of them already have jobs to go to.

YANBU. The usual omnicause performative bullshit. These people are unemployable numpties.

I know, just no need. My DC felt awful for their Jewish friend who was alongside them in the queue.

Why? My ds also has a Jewish friend he shares a student house with, who is appalled at what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza.

It seems like it has to keep being repeated so that maybe eventually it will penetrate some extra thick skulls:

Being pro-Palestinian does not equate to being anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas. Because you demonstrate support for the besieged and battered people suffering in Gaza does not mean that you don’t also condemn the atrocities suffered by the Israeli people at the hands of Hamas on 7/10. It’s really not difficult.

Some weird parents/posters on here supporting this. It’s a graduation ceremony.

Half at least of these students will be on to the next cause soon. I’d doubt if 90% of them could find Gaza on a map; probably would struggle to find the British Isles, come to that.

I’m Jewish and I didn’t attend my PhD graduation at Liverpool Uni last summer because the Dean couldn’t guarantee my safety and security.

At DDs graduation in the US in May many students wore a second stole with their gown.
One for their subject and a second that could be anything. I saw Palestinian, Israeli, Ukrainian, Pride, transgender, veterans, branches of the armed forces, various heritages.
Basically any identity or affiliation a student chose
I really liked it.

And yet it seems they all chose a Palestinian flag at this ceremony?

In my view that is because it is a pretty obvious cause. I mean I think you have to be pretty callous if not inhumane to support the genocide in Gaza. I'm someone who pretty much always sits on the fence and I don't easily take sides. Even last year I might have wondered if maybe Israel was justified to try to completely root out hamas once but there is just no justification for what is going on now.

The one statistic that somehow really gets to me is that gaza now has the highest number of child amputees in the world. I mean just imagine that. And then imagine the conditions under which these amputations must have been carried out and the after care and support these kids can expect to receive. I think they deserve for the world to stop turning for a little bit and to at least empathise with their plight.

And then compare that to resenting having to wait a little bit longer at your child's graduation ceremony.

What if everyone waved a flag of some sort?

It would hardly be the end of the world, would it?

I’m not sure it’s even possible. It sounds like an empty threat to me.

I also was at a graduation ceremony today.
One graduate did this .
I have mixed thoughts on it
He did it as he walked so it didn't disrupt anything.
To me it was a non event it didn't detract or enhance my child's event

Do you understand that there are lots of young people in this country and that they all have different causes they support?

Why would Jews feel uncomfortable? Jews aren’t responsible for the genocide. How anti-Semitic.

Well previous performative protest like this usually involved orange powder and recitation of climate change facts. Is that not the fashion anymore?

If students cannot be political then who can? The people of Palestine are currently subject to a genocide perpetrated by the Israeli state, international Zionism & it's supporters. If you say nothing you're on the side of genocide. Well done those young people

Why is it odd? Our government is supplying arms to Israel and is therefore directly funding and contributing to a genocide. It's completely unsurprising that this has spurred protest, isn't it?

Isn't it odd that with all the terrible things going on in various countries around the world that they all picked the same cause?

If this is in the UK, I'm quite surprised they can square this with the recent office for students guidance on free speech, which says that regulations restricting protest should be proportionate. I'm not sure revoking a degree is a proportion response here.

Wow, so babies and children are being killed in their thousands and starved/maimed/orphaned in the tens of thousands and you’re upset because someone chose to raise a flag in support of those dead/injured/orphaned babies and children because it delayed you a little bit?

Wow. get a grip!!

Are you assuming that Jewish students are supporters of the genocide? That’s quite an assumption.

I guess how selfish and inappropriate people feel this was will have more than a little correlation with their personal sympathies with the cause in question.

YABU, it's great to think of the passion of the next generation to support a cause they feel strongly about. So often we hear of the apathy of the young but the strength of feeling regarding the subject has mobilised them to protest in any way they can.