USC cancels main commencement ceremony as campus is roiled by protests
The University of Southern California has canceled its main commencement ceremony, citing new safety measures put in place in the days since the Los Angeles school has been rocked by student-led protests against the war in Gaza. Additional events are still planned for graduates.
The university announced the cancellation of the May 10 main-stage ceremony — which typically draws around 65,000 people — on Thursday, one day after more than 90 students were arrested on campus.
USC is among the dozens of colleges and universities where protests have unfolded on campus just weeks before commencement season; several have resulted in violence and arrests as police attempt to clear student encampments that have cropped up on school grounds.
The cancellation of the main ceremony also comes more than a week after USC officials announced that they would not have valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim and had shared pro-Palestinian views, speak at commencement, citing vague concerns over security.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/25/usc-cancels-main-commencement/