UC Berkeley Graduation Disrupted by Pro-Palestine Protests: Hundreds Interrupt Ceremonies with Chants and Signs

Berkeley, California United States of America
Chants and signs called for UC Berkeley to divest from Israel and end its support for Israeli policies
Hundreds of students participated in the protest
Protesters interrupted both undergraduate and law school ceremonies
UC Berkeley graduation disrupted by pro-Palestine protests
UC Berkeley Graduation Disrupted by Pro-Palestine Protests: Hundreds Interrupt Ceremonies with Chants and Signs

UC Berkeley Graduation Disrupted by Pro-Palestine Protests: A Comprehensive Report

On May 11, 2024, the graduation ceremony at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) was disrupted by pro-Palestine protests. The protests took place during both the undergraduate and law school ceremonies.

Protesters chanted 'free Palestine,' 'divest,' and 'UC regents, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide.' They called for an end to UC Berkeley's financial investments in Israel and Israel's siege on Gaza. The protests grew to hundreds of students who left their seats in the bleachers and took over a section of California Memorial Stadium.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ acknowledged the tragedy unfolding in Gaza but described the Palestine solidarity encampment on campus as 'civil disobedience.' She warned that auditory interruptions or displays of banners and signs were prohibited. However, her speech, along with several others, was soon drowned out by protesters' chants.

The University of California announced in April that it opposes any calls for divestment from Israel due to academic freedom concerns. Students were warned various times throughout the ceremony that interruptions and displays of signs were prohibited. However, these rules were frequently ignored.

At one point during the undergraduate ceremony, speeches were paused and Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' was blasted over the stadium loudspeakers to drown out protesters. The chanting and stomping of protesters paired with the wailing '80s power ballad made for an especially jarring several minutes until protesters left their spots on the bleachers to join a rally outside the stadium.

Many students were proud of their actions, feeling that they had shut down the ceremony for a brief period. They argued that they were standing up for what they believed in and drawing attention to an important cause. However, others felt frustrated and disappointed that their graduation day was disrupted.

The protests at UC Berkeley are part of a larger trend of campus unrest over Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Some universities across the country have changed or canceled commencement ceremonies due to similar protests. The disruptions at UC Berkeley's graduation were peaceful, and no arrests were made.

Sources:

  1. Fox News: 'UC Berkeley grads disrupt commencement ceremony with anti-Israel protests'
  2. The New York Times: 'On a Day of Graduations, Berkeley's Protests Stand Out'
  3. ABC7 News: 'Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt UC Berkeley undergrad graduation'
  4. SFGATE: 'UC Berkeley graduation halted as hundreds join pro-Palestine protest'

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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential counterarguments or perspectives that haven't been included in the article?
  • Were all facts verified and cross-referenced with multiple sources?

Sources

68%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

UC Berkeley graduation halted as hundreds join pro-Palestine protest

SFGate Sam Mauhay-Moore Sunday, 12 May 2024 00:57
  • Unique Points
    • Demonstrators called for an end to UC Berkeley’s financial investments in Israel and Israel’s siege on Gaza.
    • Protesters chanted ‘free Palestine’, ‘divest’, and ‘UC regents, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.’
  • Accuracy
    • Hundreds of pro-Palestine student protesters disrupted UC Berkeley’s graduation ceremony on May 11, 2024.
    • Protests caused the event to be paused and delayed several times.
    • UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ described the Palestine solidarity encampment on campus as ‘civil disobedience’.
    • Protesters chanted ‘free Palestine’, ‘divest’, and ‘UC regents, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.’.
    • Many students wore keffiyehs during the protest.
    • Graduating senior Jasmine Esquivel was proud to have participated in the protest.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of the protesters' actions being disruptive and their chants being heard. The author does not provide any context or counter-arguments from those who may disagree with the protesters or their cause. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through phrases such as 'terrible tragedy unfolding in Gaza' and 'genocide', which are loaded terms that elicit strong emotions from readers.
    • Many students came donned in keffiyehs, traditional headdresses that have become a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
    • What started as several small groups of students holding Palestinian flags and chanting soon grew to a crowd of hundreds, as more and more graduating seniors left their seats in the bleachers and took over an entire section of California Memorial Stadium, calling for an end to both the university’s financial investments in Israel and Israel’s siege on Gaza at large.
    • I’m going to look back at this and be proud that I stood up for what I did.
    • And what did I even do wrong? I just chanted, and I stood for what I believe in.
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by quoting protesters chanting 'genocide' and 'UC regents, you can't hide.' This is an appeal to emotion and a form of name-calling fallacy.
    • protesters chants of ‘free Palestine,’ ‘divest,’ and ‘UC regents, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.’
  • Bias (50%)
    The author expresses no bias in the article but does use language that could be perceived as sympathetic towards the protesters and their cause. The author also quotes several students expressing their views on Israel and Gaza, which could be seen as reflecting a specific position. However, the author does not take a clear stance himself.
    • calling for an end to both the university’s financial investments in Israel and Israel’s siege on Gaza at large.
      • hundreds of pro-Palestine student protesters
        • I, too, am deeply troubled by the terrible tragedy unfolding in Gaza.
          • Many students came donned in keffiyehs, traditional headdresses that have become a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          98%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          UC Berkeley grads disrupt commencement ceremony with anti-Israel protests

          Fox News Media Sunday, 12 May 2024 22:58
          • Unique Points
            • UC Berkeley graduation ceremony disrupted by anti-Israel protests
            • Protests took place during the commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          88%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt UC Berkeley's undergrad graduation

          ABC7 News - San Francisco Bay Area Saturday, 11 May 2024 18:48
          • Unique Points
            • ASUC president spoke about activism leading to global change during the protests.
            • No arrests were made during the protests.
          • Accuracy
            • A group of pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the undergraduate graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley on Saturday.
            • Protests got loud as more pro-Palestinian students joined in, stopping and delaying the ceremony at times to send their message to the crowd.
            • Demonstrators called for an end to UC Berkeley’s financial investments in Israel and Israel’s siege on Gaza.
          • Deception (70%)
            The article reports on a protest that disrupted the undergraduate graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley. While the article does not make any editorializing statements or use emotional manipulation, it does engage in selective reporting by only reporting details that support the protesters' actions and ignoring counterarguments from those who were negatively affected by the protests. The article also quotes several students who express their support for the protests, but does not provide any quotes or context from those who opposed the protests. This creates an imbalanced perspective in the article.
            • ASUC president said in her speech as people protested, 'This wouldn’t be Berkeley without a protest, so I get it.'
            • One student speaker said, 'This wouldn’t be Berkeley without a protest, so I get it.'
            • Related: Pro-Palestinian chants disrupt UC Berkeley Law graduation ceremony
            • Some universities across the country have changed or cancelled commencement in the wake of campus encampments protesting Israel’s war with Hamas but Berkeley’s graduation went on as planned.
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (95%)
            The article reports on a protest by pro-Palestinian students at UC Berkeley during the undergraduate graduation ceremony. The author does not express any bias towards either side of the conflict, but there are several statements made by protesters that could be perceived as biased. For example, one student protestor is quoted as saying 'This wouldn't be Berkeley without a protest, it's not any different, 20 years from now the university is going to recognize that.' This statement implies that protests at UC Berkeley are a normal and acceptable part of the university culture and that their cause will eventually be recognized as just. Another student speaker is quoted as saying 'This wouldn't be Berkeley without a protest, so I get it.' This statement also implies acceptance of the protests, but it also suggests that the graduation ceremony is not important enough to warrant respect or attention. Additionally, some students and parents are quoted expressing frustration and disappointment about the disruptions to their graduation day. These statements do not demonstrate any bias on the part of the author, but they do reflect different perspectives on the value and appropriateness of the protests.
            • ]This wouldn't be Berkeley without a protest, it's not any different, 20 years from now the university is going to recognize that.[
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            90%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            On a Day of Graduations, Berkeley’s Protests Stand Out

            The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Shaila Dewan, Saturday, 11 May 2024 23:26
            • Unique Points
              • Hundreds of students at the University of California, Berkeley protested and disrupted their commencement ceremony.
              • About 60 graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University walked out during Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s speech.
              • A handful of graduates at the University of Wisconsin stood with their backs to their chancellor as she spoke.
              • Many college administrators prepared for disruptions due to previous protests on campus.
              • The University of Wisconsin reached a deal with protesters to clear the encampment in return for a meeting to discuss university investments.
              • Many students were on edge about their graduation after missing their high school graduations due to the pandemic.
            • Accuracy
              • , Hundreds of pro-Palestine student protesters disrupted UC Berkeley’s graduation ceremony on May 11, 2024.
              • UC Berkeley graduation ceremony disrupted by anti-Israel protests
            • Deception (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Fallacies (85%)
              The article contains inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. It also presents a dichotomous depiction of the protests.
              • . . . many administrators prepared themselves for disruptions at graduations on Saturday. And while there were demonstrations — most noisily, perhaps, at U.C. Berkeley — ceremonies at several universities unfolded without major incident.
              • Anticipating possible disruptions, university administrators had increased their security or taken various measures . . .
              • Some students, too, were on edge about their big day — many missed their high school graduations four years ago because of the pandemic and did not want to repeat the experience.
            • Bias (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication