Dozens Walk Out of Jerry Seinfeld’s Duke Commencement Speech In Latest Graduation Protest.

At Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, a large number of students staged a walkout in protest against comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who was invited as the guest speaker and is known for his support of Israel.

The walkout was one of the most recent start-of-term disturbances that has occurred amid ongoing demonstrations against Israel’s assault in Gaza on college campuses. Students at Virginia Commonwealth University staged a walkout during Governor Glenn Youngkin’s graduating speech on Saturday. Pro-Palestinian shouts disrupted commencement at the University of California, Berkeley on the same day.

At Duke Football Stadium in North Carolina, students in gowns and hats rose from their seats and made their way out. Some of them waved Palestinian flags and yelled, “free, free Palestine,” as seen on camera. As Seinfeld was given an honorary degree, there were chants from the spectators that said, “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”

Following the Oct. 7 incident, in which over 250 people were kidnapped and 1,200 Israelis were slain by Hamas and other terrorist organizations, Seinfeld signed an open letter denouncing the attack and endorsing Israel in general. He went to Israel in December and had meetings with the relatives of the captives.

Seinfeld stated he did not regret the trip, but he was taken aback by the “hostile” responses to it in an April interview with GQ. “I don’t advocate for it. I talk to people privately about how I personally feel about it,” he remarked. “It’s not part of what I can do comedically, but my feelings are very strong.

Seinfeld’s Sunday statement went mostly unnoticed, though he did not specifically address the walkout.

He began, “A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” and then discussed privilege. “Use your privilege, I say. As a Jewish lad from New York, I grew up. If you choose to become a comic, it is a luxury.

Ahead of commencement and other graduation ceremonies, universities all around the nation made announcements about changes—some much more significant than others. The main graduating ceremonies at Columbia University and the University of Southern California have been canceled. Some, like Pomona College west of Los Angeles and Emory University in Atlanta, moved sizable graduation ceremonies off campus. A number of colleges who chose not to move or postpone commencement have stated they had increased security and taken other precautions to make sure everything goes according to plan.

Commencement speakers pulled; others drop out

Apart from the demonstrations, speakers have either withdrawn from beginning ceremonies or choose to withdraw themselves.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been withdrawn from the graduation program of Xavier University in Louisiana and the University of Vermont after an uproar of rebukes from students.

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Colson Whitehead canceled his scheduled address at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this week, referring to the school’s use of force against student protestors as “a shameful act.” A few days before to Whitehead’s declaration, law enforcement officers detained more than 130 individuals and broke up a pro-Palestinian camp.

Prior to postponing its mainstage graduation, the University of Southern California canceled valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s scheduled graduating address. Tabassum had been the target of criticism from pro-Israel organizations who claimed she had expressed antisemitic sentiments on social media. In a statement, she said that “racist hatred and silence were caused by my unwavering belief in human rights for all.

Pro-Palestinian camps, sit-ins, and building occupations have appeared on hundreds of college campuses in the United States and abroad for almost a month. After Columbia University ordered the New York City Police Department to disperse an encampment on April 18, the demonstrations escalated in scope and magnitude. More than 35,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, the most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Protesters have demanded that colleges cut their links to Israel and businesses benefiting from the conflict.

Hundreds of people leave Jerry Seinfeld’s graduating speech at Duke University in protest of his support of Israel.

According to press reports and footage circulating on social media, dozens of students left the Duke University graduating ceremony before Jerry Seinfeld’s scheduled address on Sunday. This was reportedly done in protest of the Jewish comedian’s support for Israel.

Before Seinfeld could start his commencement, address and get his honorary degree, the graduating students got up from their chairs, waved Palestinian flags, and chanted “Free, free Palestine.” While some audience members cheered the demonstrators and continuously screamed “Jerry,” many others jeered at them.

The duke walkout is just the most recent example of protests on college campuses in response to the ongoing war in Gaza. Students across the nation have expressed frustration with institutional support for Israel, with many calling for their schools to divest from groups that back Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Since the attack on October 7, Seinfeld has publicly voiced his support for Israel and has spoken out against antisemitism. He also travelled to Tel Aviv in December to meet with the families of people being held hostage by Hamas.

To show sympathy for Palestine, the students walked out. Seinfeld has made no secret of his support for Israel in this conflict.

A student who took footage from the stands believed that there were closer to 200 grads than the Associated Press’s estimate of roughly 30 graduates who got up from their seats and screamed “Free Palestine.

There were both applause and jeers from the audience when Seinfeld took the stage to deliver his graduating speech.

The duke grads’ walkout was reminiscent of weeks of demonstrations at colleges around the country, including UCLA and Columbia in New York. Nearly 2,900 arrests have been made at 57 schools and institutions, according to the Associated Press.

Protesting college students want their institutions to sever their links with Israel and companies that provide support to the Israeli government.

The beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to October 7, when the Hamas movement assaulted Israel, killing over 1,200 people. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 35,000 people have died in the subsequent conflict, the most of whom were women and children.

Duke University graduates walk out ahead of Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement address

Graduates from Duke University leave before Jerry Seinfeld delivers the graduation speech.

Updated at 2:40 PM EDT on May 13, 2024 (CBS/AP).

Videos shared on social media show that dozens of students left Duke University’s graduating ceremony on Sunday just as comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld was about to speak.

Palestinian flags were being waved, and graduates were streaming out of the North Carolina university’s football stadium, according to a video that was uploaded on X.

As Seinfeld introduced Duke University President Vincent Price, some chanted “free Palestine,” while others yelled “Jerry! Jerry!”

The 70-year-old Seinfeld, who has backed Israel since the Hamas terrorist assault on October 7, caused a stir lately when he made remarks on whether material for comedy is still appropriate in today’s world.

A video of the ceremony revealed that he accepted an honorary degree from Duke on Sunday and gave the commencement speech without any significant disruptions. There was no footage of the pupils leaving on the broadcast.

His address mostly avoided discussing politics in favor of jokes about privilege, artificial intelligence, and the students.

He had promised to “defend” the idea of privilege. “A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he remarked.

“Use your privilege, I say. As a Jewish lad from New York, I grew up. If you want to be a comic, that is a luxury,” he continued.

“Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest” was what the departing grads yelled from the parking lot while Seinfeld was speaking, according to The New York Times.

The actor has refrained from publicly discussing the walkout.

Vice president of Duke’s marketing, communications, and public relations Frank Tramble stated in a statement to CBS News: “We’re thrilled and happy for the Class of 2024 and their families. We are aware of the strong emotions present in our community, and as we have demonstrated throughout the year, we respect each person’s right to peacefully express their opinions at Duke while allowing graduates and their families to celebrate their accomplishments.”

The student protest is the most recent example of the unrest that has been raging on American campuses for a few weeks as protesters demand that colleges cut their links to arms manufacturers and other businesses that support and profit from war.

Universities like Columbia and the University of Southern California were forced to postpone or cancel their major commencement ceremonies in response to the demonstrations.

Earlier this month, students from the University of Michigan momentarily disrupted the ceremony.

“Since many years ago, peaceful demonstrations similar to this have occurred during U-M commencement exercises,” university representative Colleen MA stony stated following the event.

Universities like Columbia and the University of Southern California were forced to postpone or cancel their major commencement ceremonies in response to the demonstrations.

Earlier this month, students from the University of Michigan momentarily disrupted the ceremony.

“Since many years ago, peaceful demonstrations similar to this have occurred during U-M commencement exercises,” university representative Colleen MA stony stated following the event.