Flag in Graduation ceremony - what would you think?

I'm guessing it was planned by the students themselves in which case brilliant

Just not women's rights, abortion rights and rights to healthcare, anti racism etc.

I would just like to correct you - I never once called you 'arrogant' as was stated. I simply said that assumptions shouldn't be made. And I backed that up with my own experience.
I have not even mentioned Politics in my post!
One thing I also learned from my own experience is that calm is a superpower.

War is brutally violent and unjust. War has many components. And modern day warfare is not just about bombs and guns. Surviving all that is hard enough, but ultimately it will either kill you, break you or you will emerge stronger. I aim to be in that last category.
Anyway, no offence was taken. I understand that people get riled up.

why do your strong feelings about Palestine trump people's feeling about other atrocities around the world? And why would they even trump people's feeling about the Israeli hostages still held and tortured as we speak?

And what about feeling very strongly about the kids in this very country who don't have access to immediate life-saving treatment, who haven't got free school meals during the holidays..

I mean, if we start fighting about causes that we are genuinely concerned about, where do we stop?

Graduations are neither the time nor the place. Show respect to the graduates and campaign for your causes elsewhere.

I agree. Its one of those (and now I am going to sound old) what if everyone did it? Its the kind of situation where one person's entitlement to free speech doesn't outweigh everyone else's entitlement to have the kind of day they want.

Well, yes. But you have to be consistent. It can’t be whatever cause cunning supports is allowed and no other (and I’m sure you weren’t suggesting that). So you’d have to accept pro-apartheid protests too, be fine with extremists calling for Israel-river-to-the-sea if you are fine with their Palestine equivalent. Let alone the thousand other really complex politics around the world that we don’t hear of but which plays out on campus. I can’t see how that is practically workable or desirable, so I think the no-flags-no-protests must be what we all have to put up with for the common good.

nailed it

See the post above yours.

No student or their families should be made to feel uncomfortable at their own graduation.

I think spreading the message that so many people feel very strongly about the atrocities in Palestine is more important than a graduate having their ‘moment’ without any other distractions. They have still graduated and a flag does nothing g to take anything away from their achievements or celebrations.

Flags or keffiyahs should not be allowed in graduation ceremonies imho.
Whatever your views or polictical persuasion it has nothing to do with getting your degree.
As a Jewish person I wasn't happy seeing (thankfully only 1) graduate wearing a keffiyah at my DC's ceremony. I didnt' clap for her - but clapped for everyone else. There were def Jewish students there as well (one sitting quite near us as we were at the front behind all the graduates). Could tell by name and my 'Jewdar'.

More important than any one cause is political pluralism and institutional neutrality.

Which means all flags or none.

Russian nationalists, Israeli ones, Chinese, the lot, all speaking out for their cause and waving their flags. English nationalists, the China-Taiwan wars, Kashmir unpleasantness, who knows, maybe a Confederate flag or two.

You may welcome them all, but I think no flags is a better idea.

I’m always interested by the odd use of ‘virtue signalling’: so it’s best to stay modest and quiet and not cause any trouble to anyone if you want to protest?

I suspect some people would see the suffragettes as virtue signalling; they certainly caused enough embarrassment and awkwardness, but sometimes being embarrassed is a stage in realising that protest is real.

People used to talk about virtue signalling or its equivalent when some were protesting against apartheid in South Africa, refusing to buy goods etc was seen as pointless, but it doesn’t seem like that now.

i started reading the thread thinking oh yes it was a disruption; reading the responses I actually feel more supportive.

I was watching my niece’s graduation ceremony from Leeds Beckett University via LiveLink a couple of weeks ago.
One of the students took out a Palestinian flag which had been hidden under her robe as she crossed the stage.
Just made herself look like a very immature, attention seeking idiot to be honest.

They’re students. I’d be disappointed not to see protests and political activism on a campus - even at graduation.

Thank you so much ❤️. I appreciate your kind words. It's been an exceptionally hard graft and I honestly can't believe I have done it. People will always make judgements without knowing the truth. And I get that all the time. I also learned that unfortunately, people do judge - especially on appearance. I now get told that ' you don't look what you have been through' and that's because I have worked hard and been exceptionally hard on myself because I want to challenge the stereotypical viewpoints. And so, when someone sees me with my chosen flag, they can make all the assumptions they want. It has a much deeper meaning to me. 😊

Attention seeking virtue signalling at its finest. Pathetic.

Not Exeter by the way!

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.

Oh god the virtue signalling. I wish they’d stop. So sorry this happened, it shouldn’t have been allowed.

I'm not making assumptions, I know I'm right. You call that arrogant, I call it having made many observations of Pro Palestine advocates. @HRTQueen I'm not going to debate the merits of the conflict on this thread. As I said, I knew which flag would be in question and I knew the G word would come up. The flag is politically partisan, as would be the Israeli flag. All this was done to death on that dick head Kneecap thread and the inept BBC Glastonbury thread.

ETA: apologies if you are personally affected. That doesn't alter my viewpoint. @findingmypurposeinlife

Well done Finding

You absolutely should be very proud. Best of luck

My line of work exposes me to graduation ceremonies up and down the country (not a huge number, but enough). I've seen such demonstrations - and not just for Palestine - during the ceremony as students cross the stage. I've only been working in this arena for a couple of years so can't speak to what it was like prior.

With regards to Palestine, the flag-waving invariably invokes cheers from the audience. I can't recall any booing at the ceremonies I've witnessed this happening. Universities are typically very left-leaning these days, so if you're going to start waving the Palestinian flag about somewhere, a room full of students seems to be a place it would likely go down well.

Doesn't mean I'D do it personally, or even that I agree with it. Just that the gesture seems to have been well-received at ceremonies I've attended.

This happened at my DD's graduation ceremony too and my feelings are the same as yours. So not just you!

I will be furious if someone does this at my graduation next year. We’ve worked hard and deserve our moment. It’s not time for protests.

You shouldn't make assumptions! I am about to graduate and I have hands on experience with conflict (in a warzone) I am exceptionally proud of myself for achieving this degree in the face of adversity and I will be wearing my chosen flag representing the country which inspired me to achieve these goals. I could be 'resting' in a grave right now. But I'm not, and I am going to celebrate that, so no one should be offended. From my own personal experience, people living in conflict zones carry on with their lives daily - go to school, work - and they just have to incorporate war into that daily routine somehow. It's not easy, but people don't have a choice.