Figures in robes and caps, some waving Palestinian flags, were seen filing out of crowds of graduates assembled on the grass in the North Carolina University’s football stadium in the video posted on X. Reuters was able to verify the video’s date and location.
The video also showed several attendees leaving the viewing stands, including a person wearing a keffiyeh, an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Others shouted “Jerry! Jerry!” as the actor received an honorary degree, and Seinfeld delivered his speech without major interruptions.
Seinfeld, who has Jewish heritage, visited Israel and has vocally supported it since October 7 when militant group Hamas killed, 1,200 people and abducted 252 others, of whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Meanwhile, Israel’s military operations have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.
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GEN-Z VS GENOCIDE: HOPE FOR HUMANITY?
GEN-Z VS GENOCIDE: HOPE FOR HUMANITY?
The protests have prompted US universities such as Columbia in New York and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to cancel their main graduation ceremonies this month. Other colleges and universities have relocated or modified commencement ceremonies.