Columbia University’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday was marked by loud protests over the absence of Mahmoud Khalil, a detained pro-Palestinian student protest leader.
As interim president Clare Shipman took the podium, students booed and shouted, “Shame on you!” The prestigious New York school has been a focal point of demonstrations against violence in Gaza for over a year, with recent crackdowns leading to student arrests under the Trump administration.
Khalil, a prominent figure in nationwide campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, has been held by U.S. authorities for more than two months following his activism. Despite being a permanent resident, he now faces deportation.
Before the ceremony, attendees were warned against disruptions, but chants of “Free Mahmoud!” still rang out. Some graduates wore keffiyehs—symbols of Palestinian solidarity—as scarves or in place of caps.
In her speech, Shipman acknowledged Khalil’s absence and urged graduates to defend democracy, calling it “the essential work of your generation.” Without naming the President Trump, she defended universities as pillars of democracy, even as Columbia remains under federal scrutiny.
The White House has slashed $400 million in aid to Columbia, targeting schools that resist its policies. In May, 80 pro-Palestinian students were arrested for attempting to occupy the library, with officials threatening visa reviews and deportations.
Khalil, detained in Louisiana, was denied the chance to hold his newborn son during a visit by his wife, Noor Abdalla, who condemned the government’s “calculated cruelty.”
Many students expressed shame over Columbia’s handling of free speech. Olivia Blythe, a social work graduate, called the university’s actions “horrific,” while sociology graduate Alfred Young criticized Shipman’s mention of Khalil as “tone-deaf.”
Related: Mahmoud Khalil Writes a letter to Colombia University
The ceremony ended with cap tosses and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” but tensions lingered outside, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators held signs reading, “There is no graduation in Gaza today.”