Seinfeld speech at Duke commencement prompts walkout protesting his
support for Israel
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[May 13, 2024]
(Reuters) -Dozens of students walked out of Duke
University's commencement ceremony on Sunday as some chanted "free
Palestine" to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who
has supported Israel throughout the war in Gaza, according to a video
posted on social media.
Figures in robes and caps, some waving Palestinian flags, were seen
filing out of crowds of graduates assembled on the grass in the North
Carolina University's football stadium in the video posted on X. Reuters
was able to verify the video's date and location.
The video also showed several attendees leaving the viewing stands,
including a person wearing a keffiyeh, which can be an emblem of
solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Others shouted "Jerry! Jerry!" as the actor received an honorary degree,
and Seinfeld delivered his speech without major interruptions.
"A lot of you are thinking, 'I can't believe they invited this guy.' Too
late," he said, after vowing to "defend" the concept of privilege.
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"I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That
is a privilege if you want to be a comedian," he added.
"We understand the depth of feeling in our community, and as we have all
year, we respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views
peacefully, without preventing graduates and their families from
celebrating their achievement," said Duke spokesperson Frank Tramble in
a statement.
Seinfeld visited Israel and has vocally supported it since Oct. 7, when
militant group Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 252 others, of
whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to
Israeli tallies. Meanwhile, Israel's military operations have killed
more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the
Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.
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The White House said on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden
welcomes peaceful protests at college commencement ceremonies where
he and other administration officials will speak.
The walkout at Duke's graduation was the latest manifestation of
protests that have roiled U.S. campuses as students call for
universities to divest from arms suppliers and other companies
profiting from the war, and amnesty for students and faculty who
have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
At Emerson College in Boston, chants interrupted remarks by the
school's president during its commencement ceremony on Sunday. Some
students could be seen on a recording of the event walking across
the stage to receive their degrees carried signs of their support
for Palestinians, including one woman who unfurled a Palestinian
flag.
The protests have prompted U.S. universities such as Columbia in New
York and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to
cancel their main graduation ceremonies this month. Other colleges
and universities have relocated or modified commencement ceremonies.
(Reporting by Julia Harte; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Gerry
Doyle)
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