Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt University of Michigan commencement

University of Michigan students interrupted commencement with a pro-Palestinian protest Saturday.

The Saturday commencement began at 10 a.m. at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. During the university's commencement livestream, a disruption can be heard while U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivered remarks.

Del Toro paused twice during the protest and acknowledged the importance of free speech and peaceful protests as American values during his remarks.

"It is indeed these young men and women who will protect the freedoms that we so cherish as Americans in our Constitution of the United States, which includes the right to protest peacefully," Del Toro said.

Several graduating students could be seen wearing keffiyehs, a Palestinian scarf with a black-and-white fishnet pattern, and Palestinian flags were seen during the ceremony. Student activists shared photos of the protest on social media Saturday.

The university had anticipated the potential for protests, according to the University of Michigan commencement website.

"Commencement ceremonies have been the site of free expression and peaceful protest for decades and will likely continue to be," the website stated. "The University of Michigan does not attempt to prevent peaceful protests or other speech protected under the First Amendment. Many ceremonies will have a designated area for protests outside the venue."

The university had announced on its website certain restrictions that include a "prohibition of banners, flags and anything that obstructs sightlines." The university said that while it respects free speech and recognizes the history of protests at commencement, "if protests significantly impede the program, leadership will take steps to de-escalate and address the interruption." There were no reports of arrests during Saturday's protest.

The protest comes amid a national crackdown on protests supporting Palestinians and calling for divestment from Israel that have resulted in over 2,400 arrests, including at the University of Michigan. The university has seen protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, with pro-Palestinian students enacting a Gaza solidarity tent encampment in recent weeks, modeling similar encampments on college campuses across the U.S. and the world.

More:Campus protests against Gaza attacks continue in Michigan amid national crackdown