Diploma Burning Protest Mars Columbia University Commencement

Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted Columbia University's commencement ceremony on Wednesday morning, May 25, 2025, staging a demonstration that included the burning of diplomas. The protest, which took place on 116th Street and Broadway, coincided with the arrival of Columbia families for the graduation ceremony. Dozens of protesters gathered, many draped in Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, while others held signs with messages such as "Congrats Grads, You Deserve Better." One alumnus, Nara Garber, explained their actions: "We did not want to express anything negative towards the students, but it's a day of pomp and circumstance on campus, and we felt it important to meet that sense of celebration with resistance. Every university in Gaza has been destroyed." Another protester, Susan E. Edore, expressed her anger at Columbia's perceived capitulation to the Trump administration and its weaponization of antisemitism. The protest underscores the ongoing debate surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on university campuses.