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

[anythingbutlillies]

Hard hat on.

DC's graduation today. Fabulous day, but it did not sit well with me that a few chose to unfurl a flag / raise a scarf while they were on the stage.
Just no! So very selfish.

Interested to hear if I am being precious?

That doesn't justify synagogues here being burnt, swastikas written on buildings here, and Jewish people here being attacked.

It seems to be very vogue at the moment to tack on "FREE PALESTINE" to the end of completely unrelated statements on social media.

But Israel can argue that Palestine committed genocide on 7/10. And as Palestine started it, many would feel Israel would have every right to someone represent it and defend it by waving the Israeli flag. As Israel were the original victims.

I get what noblegiraffe is saying. It seems people are obsessed with Palestine as it's the latest trendy thing. What about Ukraine? It doesn't get one 10th of the attention bloddy Palestine (which I am sick to death of hearing about) gets. What about the plight of women in Afghanistan? Well, it only affects women, so no one cares enough to wave an Afghanistan or feminist flag in solidarity. The world was always run by men. And further, no one even cares about climate change anymore. It's like..... nothing, nothing matters more than Palestine now. It's herd mentality. Just once I'd like a student to care about something, anything else other than Palestine. I know people are being turned off Palestine now and can't care less because we are saturated with the topic.

This!

Nowhere have I said all the statements made were all about Palestine.
It just clearly suits the narrative for many on this thread.

In the UK, in Australia, in America, for starters.

You have completely misunderstood. 'Palestine' didn't committed the terrorist atrocities on 7/10. Hamas did. Hamas are a terrorist organisation that took control of Gaza twenty years ago. They do not represent all or even a majority of Palestinians and every Palestinian I know was horrified by the attacks.
A terrorist attack should never justify the slaughter, maiming and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. It's a completely disproportionate response which is breaking international law.
Not even getting into the rights and wrongs of all the decades before that.

Perfectly put - thanks @noblegiraffe

Yet to many, the waving of the Palestinian flag is the equivalent of waving a swastika. Both are anti-Jewish and represent violence and death against Jewish people.

Just out of interest, what were the others?

You think nobody that opposes the Palestinian genocide has a job? How closeted you must be.

Ah so only certain flags are ok in your book. And comparing the Israeli flag to the swastika. You’re letting your anti semitism show there sweetie. Tut tut.

This thread is being rather dominated by those committed to the cause - fair enough.

But I maintain that “protesting” at an academic occasion is performative.

I also maintain that if I were to ask most students exactly what they were protesting/supporting they’d have no clue. Exactly the same as all those chanting at Glastonbury: it’s all good fun and all about the moment.

I am glad to hear that. It sounds effective.

Some students pulled this stunt during my DD's graduation last year. It spoiled it for everyone else and their families and nobody cared about the points they were making. Twats! I wish her university (Cambridge) had taken such a stance.

When there is a genocide happening it’s always time for ‘political statements.’ I would have been very, very proud of my child if they’d done this.

Well of course, all protesting is performative. It is a way to get a cause seen and talked about. I don't think it's fair to say that the person protesting doesn't care about Palestine. How can people not care? If students stop protesting about things then we are well and truly fucked as a society - and to be honest, we are heading that way. We need to be more like the French and less like Americans.

Well apart from selling arms to Israel, we are pretty much staying out of this. We certainly aren't doing anything to help the Palestinians. The BBC wouldn't even broadcast a documentary that they made. Channel 4 had to step up.

The UK isn't big enough or important enough to go down the isolationist route. Do you really think that what happens elsewhere in the world doesn't impact us?

It's irrelevant and not the point of the thread.

3 different virtue signalling statements

Good to hear.
Why don't you do something similar when you get to work each day?

I think revoking the degree for twatty behaviour disrupting the ceremony and spoiling it for others and their families is entirely appropriate. The students would have fully deserved it and I wish more unis would take a similar stance, including my DD's last year.

I don’t think that would be legal, particularly now students are customers. I imagine if it was attempted those customers would be demanding their money back.

This!
Young people should be educated and informed, and activism / protest is not unexpected of students.

OK. Your opening post just mentioned flags/scarves, not Palestine specifically, so I wondered what the others were - what are the other popular causes currently among students 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I do wonder what the point of these "statements" is - how is it making a difference?

Campaign, fundraise, etc for your causes. Anyone can wave a flag, and I'm not convinced a graduation ceremony is the place for it.