MIT students walk out of commencement over university’s links to Israel
More than 100 graduates walked out of their commencement at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to protest the institution’s ongoing links to Israel.
MIT’s outdoor commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was disrupted for 10 to 15 minutes on Thursday when some graduates wearing keffiyehs over their caps and gowns walked out while chanting “Free, free Palestine”, and held signs that said, “All eyes on Rafah”.
“There is going to be no business as usual as long as MIT holds research projects with the Israeli Ministry of Defence,” said David Berkinsky, 27, who earned a doctorate degree in chemistry and was part of the walk-out protest.
“There are no graduates in Gaza. There are no universities left in Gaza because Israel has bombed every single one,” Berkinsky told The Associated Press news agency.
Some people at the commencement swore at the protesters and yelled, “Good riddance to Hamas terror fans”.
A pro-Palestine encampment at MIT was cleared by the university on May 10.
The US is one sick place
