WASHINGTON (7News) — More than 100 George Washington University (GW) graduates walked out during Sunday's commencement ceremony, protesting the ongoing war in Gaza and calling on the university to divest from companies supporting Israel's military operations there.
The walk-outs happened in two waves during GW President Ellen Granberg's speech, which student protestors booed and chanted through. The protesting graduates and other ceremony attendees joined the around 50 mostly college-aged protestors, including GW students, who had been across the street chanting throughout the ceremony.
Amani Ali, who is half-Palestinian, was among the graduates who walked out.
"I felt like I really needed to be here for my people," she told 7News. "I’m proud to be a graduate and I’m proud to have students standing with me."
READ | 33 arrests made after DC police clear out pro-Palestine encampment at GWU's campus
Ali called it "surreal" walking out. "We got a lot of pushback from a lot of guests -- chanting the national anthem at us, telling us to go home, go back to our country," she explained. "But the students really stood in solidarity together, it was really nice."
For ceremony attendees, the reaction was mixed. David Borasky, who came to watch his granddaughter graduate, felt the protestors somewhat soured the event.
"Everything was well done, except the protesting," he told 7News. "Why would you do it? What’s the purpose of it at an event like this? You’re not gonna make a difference with the people that are at this event... It might be a just cause for them but it’s not for me, so it just had no meaning to me."
Jayden White, who just received her Master's Degree in public policy, wasn't among the protesting graduates but said most graduates were understanding about what was happening.
"I don’t think there was a disdain or upset that there was an interruption," she said. "I think there’s an understanding for the cause and understanding that this is something that’s bigger than us."
Protestors told 7News that even with the school over, their fight will continue in D.C. and nationwide, calling on GW and area universities to "disclose and divest."
"We will not stop until they properly come to the negotiation table in good faith," said Yaya Anatanag, who also walked out of Sunday's ceremony. "Until they do, we’ll be out on the streets."
READ | One taken into custody as pro-Palestine protestors rally near office of GWU president
Sunday's demonstration happened about a week and a half after police broke up an encampment site in and around University Yard, where protestors had gathered for about two weeks. Protesters tried setting up tents outside the university president's office the following night, but police cleared out the demonstration in the overnight hours.
7News reached out to GW for a statement in response to Sunday's protest and will update this story if a statement is sent.
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