Seinfeld pro-'Israel' stances prompt walkout from Duke commencement
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Jerry Seinfeld has been a rabid supporter of the Israeli occupation, and he was giving a speech at Duke University when students walked out.
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Pro-Palestine students hold white t-shirts stating the message "DIVEST" as they protest at UC Berkeley graduation at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley California on May 11, 2024. (AP)
Social media footage showed dozens of students storming out of Duke University's graduating ceremony on Sunday, chanting "free Palestine" in protest of the event's keynote speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who has supported "Israel's" onslaught on Gaza as the war rages on and "Israel's" aggression continues to target innocent Palestinians.
Some students held Palestinian flags and were seen trickling out of throngs of graduates gathered on the turf of the North Carolina University football stadium, according to a video uploaded on X.
The video also showed some spectators leaving the viewing stands, including one wearing a koufiyyeh, a symbol of support for the Palestinian cause.
🚨🇺🇸BREAKING: DUKE UNIVERSITY WALKS OUT OF GRADUATION
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 12, 2024
When Jerry Seinfeld was introduced to speak, the students got up, held up a Palestine Flag, and walked out.pic.twitter.com/p4pUfSUdjA
The other graduates yelled "Jerry! Jerry!" as the actor was awarded an honorary degree, and Seinfeld delivered his address without serious interruptions. The US comedian has visited "Israel" and has spoken out in support of the occupation, despite the 35,000 Palestinians martyred.
The walkout was the most recent incarnation of demonstrations on American campuses, as students demand that institutions divest from arms suppliers and other firms benefitting from the war, as well as amnesty for students and staff members who have been reprimanded or dismissed for their protests.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled) reveal that 97% of pro-Palestine campus protests since mid-April have maintained nonviolent expressions of dissent.
An extensive analysis of 553 campus demonstrations conducted nationwide between April 18 and May 3 further corroborated this finding, with less than 20 instances resulting in any serious interpersonal violence or property damage.
During this same period, Acled documented over 70 cases of forceful police intervention against these campus protests, including the use of chemical agents and physical dispersal tactics.
While nearly half of the categorized violent campus protests involved confrontations with law enforcement, the demonstrations themselves have varied widely in scope and purpose.
Encampments in solidarity with Gaza have sprouted across college campuses since April, with students articulating demands such as public university support for a Gaza ceasefire, divestment from Israeli companies, and the severance of ties with Israeli academic institutions.
Administrators' responses to these protests have varied. Some schools like Columbia University have resorted to calling in law enforcement to forcibly dismantle encampments, resulting in over 2,600 arrests across 50 campuses, as reported by the Associated Press.
