Students Protest for Palestine at Oberlin College Graduation

Oberlin College Graduation Protest: Students Turn Backs on Speaker to Demand 'Free Palestine' On May 26, 2025, a graduation ceremony at Oberlin College in Ohio took an unexpected turn when a group of graduating students staged a protest in support of Palestine. The students, visible in a video shared by Al Jazeera English, turned their backs on the commencement speaker and chanted, "Free Palestine." The protest lasted several minutes, disrupting the ceremony's flow. One student, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, "We felt it was important to use this platform to highlight the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people and to demand an end to the occupation." The demonstration underscores the growing student activism on college campuses across the United States regarding international political issues. The protest received mixed reactions from attendees. Some applauded the students' passion, while others expressed concern over the disruption to the ceremony. Regardless of differing opinions, the protest served as a powerful display of student activism and a call for global justice. The event concluded peacefully, with the students returning to their seats to finish the ceremony.