Flag in Graduation ceremony - what would you think?

[whiteroseredrose]

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?

It would be a nope from me. A diverse society like ours needs to preserve politically and ideologically neutral spaces, or life will become very exhausting very quickly. There are many other ways to support particular causes without tokenistic flag waving.

You are right. The flag-waver was selfish and wrong, and the university authorities were wrong and cowardly to allow it.

A protest was planned at dds graduation and the university staff talked them out of it.

Not appropriate. Students were warned not to do that at DD’s graduation last week.

First comment covers it

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.

Cousin’s graduation ruined by this at Exeter as in actual graduation not just photos outside. I don’t think this would be allowed in The US.

Ah the uni I was talking about was Exeter. They had many different graduations, and although I am sympathetic to those protesting about Gaza I would have been a bit pissed off it was during rhe ceremony

Thank you everyone so far. It's good to know it's not just me.

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

It's pointless virtue signalling. That person waving a flag and feeling good about themselves achieves absolutely nothing.

You know what, I was going to say you’re unreasonable, they’re just students acting like students, but you know what - you’re right. It’s inappropriate. There’s a time and place and that isn’t it. They also had no regard to how others felt about it. Totally stupid act of selfishness.

My daughter graduated last year in the US and there were several students who carried Palestinian flags across the stage with them when they graduated. I'm curious as to why you think this wouldn't be allowed in the US? We take our freedom of speech very seriously here.

Those young people know naff all about the background to the arab-Israeli conflict. Not everyone believes it's either genocide and why the hell should everyone else have to keep seeing that flag, everywhere they go.

They will be chasing after every moral crusade going. The only time lefties took a step back and thought about it, was when TRA/JKR etc started coming to the forefront. It's not so easy emehen it's you personally affected. Anyone can jump on a moral bandwagon.

There’s a time and place for protest, and graduation from a UK university is neither.

I’ll give them a pass if the student in question is of Palestinian origin, but I suspect not.

With the Gazan student, in France, being caught promoting online antisemitic material, when are universities going to learn? It doesn't matter which side you are on, this complex conflict affects two races of people - not just one. They should take a leaf out of Will Streeting's book and put a stop to this.

I think it's also invidious to put the other students in a position where their immediate reactions to that flag being unveiled are also being viewed and judged, and if captured in a photo, potentially posted online for others to draw conclusions as to whether they're rolling their eyes at Lily-Mae's political dramatics or the Palestinian state itself.

I would think that, whilst the flag-waver has academic ability, they are nonetheless both dim and juvenile. They are entitled to their views, but have no right to foist them on other people. It's virtue-signalling nonsense, and they need to grow up.

How do you know they know naff all. I knew more at their age about the conflict than many my parents age

The calls for the genocide to stop are becoming deafening

The Israeli government will still defend their position and Trump is denying this (no doubt still dreaming of his Gaza golf courses) but the support is fading as the world is witnessing what is going on. It is not in the interests of the Palestinian people or the people of Israel for their government to keep up their atrocities

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.

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.

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

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.

Well done Finding

You absolutely should be very proud. Best of luck