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AIBU?

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Original poster

Flag in Graduation ceremony - what would you think?

170 replies

whiteroseredrose · 04/08/2025 14:26

My DD graduated on Saturday. The ceremony is in two parts, first they 'graduate' in groups of the same subject and go outside. They then come back in in larger groups wearing their new hoods attached to the robes. All very pretty with lots of proud parents taking photos.

DD came back in with her friends, lots of clapping and cheers and I took my photos.

In the cohort immediately behind her one graduate came in carrying a full sized Palestinian flag which covered her from head to toe. So the attention switched from the 30 or so new graduates all in black and white to this huge multicoloured flag. There were some cheers and some boos.

Here's my AIBU. I think it was highly inappropriate to steal the moment from all of your classmates. It is everyone's moment of glory and shouldn't be about just one person and their beliefs. I don't think that the University staff should have let her in with it.

Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
Original poster
whiteroseredrose · 05/08/2025 00:23

I don't know if the person was Palestinian @ArtfulGoldWriter. It is a very international cohort and that was the only flag. Everyone else was in regulation black and white. No national dress.

OP posts:
ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 23:10

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Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 23:07

Blinky21 · 04/08/2025 22:47

The irony of the OP complaining her child's moment was stolen in the context of what is happening to other people's children in Gaza is staggering to me

The two are unconnected.

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 23:07

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😆 🤣 😂

FaerieQueene · 04/08/2025 22:57

blanketsnuggler · 04/08/2025 16:03

DS graduated on friday and there was a free Palestine protest going on outside the building. This was one man banging on what sounded like a saucepan and a drum, and shouting through a loud speaker. We could hear it all through the ceremony. Then a graduate came in with a flag at the end when they come in from outside, and was quickly ushered out by staff.

I think DD graduated at the same ceremony @blanketsnuggler. The saucepan banging and loudspeaker chanting continued for the entire hour and a quarter, and, unlike the unrolling of a flag, really did significantly disrupt the proceedings. I felt very sorry for the new graduates and felt such a prolonged protest detracted hugely from the formal and celebratory nature of the occasion.

PurpleThistle7 · 04/08/2025 22:52

I am Jewish (and was born in Israel but didn’t grow up there) and I work at a university and I have to brace myself every single day before going to work. There are marches and protests and hateful graffiti and it’s all just nonstop. And while they aren’t all antiSemitic (I do appreciate many try to differentiate between anti Israeli government and anti Israel and antisemitic… many, but not all) but I’ve been living with non stop anxiety for a very, very long time. I know that is nothing compared to the true suffering of all those in war zones across the world - I understand that, but this is still my life.

My 12 year daughter was attacked at school by children shouting Free Palestine and I am scared all the time that it will happen again. Being confronted with that for absolutely no purpose while trying to have a brief moment of celebration for myself or my child would have broken something in me yet again.

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:48

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Blinky21 · 04/08/2025 22:47

The irony of the OP complaining her child's moment was stolen in the context of what is happening to other people's children in Gaza is staggering to me

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 22:46

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:41

I’M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK.

I have spent 20 years working at a university and I have worked 20 graduations.

We have students from 130 countries who want to celebrate their achievements by flying a flag or wearing their national dress.

There is nothing unusual about it - and that includes our refugee students from Gaza, Syria and Ukraine.

It’s been happening for years.

So all the nonsense on this thread about it is just that - utter nonsense.

We encourage our students to celebrate their culture and identity - and yes that does include a Palestinian flag. I worked with a young law student from Gaza. These are poeple we are talking about.

I’m welsh - we get Welsh flags too- SHOCK in England 🙄

Edited

Well bully for you. 20 years in a university eh. @whiteroseredrose was this flag wearer Palestinian? Celebrating culture is very different to attention seeking.

Quellycat · 04/08/2025 22:44

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:41

I’M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK.

I have spent 20 years working at a university and I have worked 20 graduations.

We have students from 130 countries who want to celebrate their achievements by flying a flag or wearing their national dress.

There is nothing unusual about it - and that includes our refugee students from Gaza, Syria and Ukraine.

It’s been happening for years.

So all the nonsense on this thread about it is just that - utter nonsense.

We encourage our students to celebrate their culture and identity - and yes that does include a Palestinian flag. I worked with a young law student from Gaza. These are poeple we are talking about.

I’m welsh - we get Welsh flags too- SHOCK in England 🙄

Edited

Good for u and your uni.

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:41

I’M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK.

I have spent 20 years working at a university and I have worked 20 graduations.

We have students from 130 countries who want to celebrate their achievements by flying a flag or wearing their national dress.

There is nothing unusual about it - and that includes our refugee students from Gaza, Syria and Ukraine.

It’s been happening for years.

So all the nonsense on this thread about it is just that - utter nonsense.

We encourage our students to celebrate their culture and identity - and yes that does include a Palestinian flag. I worked with a young law student from Gaza. These are poeple we are talking about.

I’m welsh - we get Welsh flags too- SHOCK in England 🙄

DottieMoon · 04/08/2025 22:38

HRTQueen · 04/08/2025 15:19

young people the future of our country showing support for people that are suffering horrendously while genocide is taking place

I am in full support that they show such awareness, this country is involved and no one should ever be silenced when speaking out against such horrors as we are seeing night after night on the news

Completely agree

HonoriaBulstrode · 04/08/2025 22:36

When she's asked in an interview, where she ever made a difference, she can use this stunt.

How did she make a difference?

I work at a university. We have students from 130 countries come every year- many wear their national dress at Graduation, many fly their flag.
ITS REALLY NOT UNUSUAL.

And plenty of England flags, I hope.

Quellycat · 04/08/2025 22:35

ThereIsThunderInOurHearts · 04/08/2025 21:03

I agree. Egypt's blockade / barrier to aid under Sisi is sickening.

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Are graduates in Egypt waving a P-flag? (No need to reply, we know the answer is no).

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:27

I work at a university. We have students from 130 countries come every year- many wear their national dress at Graduation, many fly their flag.

ITS REALLY NOT UNUSUAL.

That has included students from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine & Gaza. We host refugee students every year and have chevening scholars from all over the world including places of conflict.

sophistitroll · 04/08/2025 22:26

There’s a time and a place and a graduation ceremony is neither

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:25

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 14:46

I think we will all have guessed what flag it was before we opened the thread. Just another luvvies attention seeking exercise, which is wholly inappropriate.

There are chevening scholars from Gaza at my university who are allowed to wave their flag - because it’s their flag.

Not virtue signalling- their actual home.

ArtfulGoldWriter · 04/08/2025 22:23

There are actually a few students from Gaza at my university in on Chevening scholarships as there will be at other institutions - they have been allowed to wave their flag.

Teajenny7 · 04/08/2025 22:20

I think it is inappropriate and rather rude.

The person could have stood outside and collected money for aid agencies on the ground. Do something useful rather than an empty gesture!

HRTQueen · 04/08/2025 22:19

StripyCarpets · 04/08/2025 21:25

You really didn’t, and you still don’t.

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Because my opinion is different form yours

🙄

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 22:15

CaptainFuture · 04/08/2025 22:11

But all the virtue signallers safe over here can happily do the... 'oh but freedom fighting' shit...

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I've spent way too much time on here, today. X

Graduationxyz · 04/08/2025 22:13

DD's graduation at LSE a few weeks ago had a student unfurling a pro Palestinian flag when going up to shake hands wit the Vice Chancellor. I expect that it was quite common in graduations this year.
I didn't feel that it detracted from the graduation ceremony or undermined any of the students' achievements.

Suednymph · 04/08/2025 22:12

No time to read 5 pages of responses but I think it is completely unnecessary for someone to do that at a graduation and take over from what the kids have achieved. Also this business of 'raising awareness' unless you have been in a coma for the past two years we are all bloody aware at this point. Absolutely everything currently is about Gaza and in a lot of cases rightfully so but let other people have their moments also. It is very frustrating that nobody can have any celebration right now without it becoming political. I am Irish and of course just as against genocide as everyone else all things considered but ffs let people have their personal moments too.

Will end this with Free Free Palestine as i am in support of ending genocide I just dont think it needs highlighting on other peoples big day. Tiocfaidh ár lá.

CaptainFuture · 04/08/2025 22:11

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 21:02

Yes because cute cuddly little Hamas would never do something like that. Honestly.

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But all the virtue signallers safe over here can happily do the... 'oh but freedom fighting' shit...

Dangermoo · 04/08/2025 22:10

MidnightMusing5 · 04/08/2025 22:10

It’s not complicated at all.

genocide of Jewish people- unacceptable

genocide of Palestinians- unacceptable

no excuses

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Did the region appear out of thin air?