Dozens of students walked out during Duke University’s graduation ceremony on Sunday to protest comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s selection as the commencement speaker, according to The New York Times.
The pro-Palestinian protest was one of many staged at U.S. college graduation ceremonies over the weekend.
At Duke, students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza left the ceremony being held in the school’s football stadium. Some were chanting “free, free Palestine,” videos on social media showed.
Seinfeld, who is Jewish, received an honorary degree from the school. The comedian has recently been vocal in his support for Israel and the country’s war against the terror group Hamas.
Many in the crowd jeered the protesters before Seinfeld opened his speech with, “Thank you. Oh my God, what a beautiful day.”
“A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he continued, before moving on to the concept of privilege. “I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Along with his wife, Jessica, Seinfeld co-chairs the Duke Parents Committee, which raises funds for the school, according to the News and Observer. Their daughter, Sascha, graduated from Duke in 2023 and their son, Julian, is a current student.
Similar protests were held this weekend at commencement ceremonies at Virginia Commonwealth, Emerson College and the University of California, Berkeley.
At Pomona College’s commencement in Los Angeles on Sunday, a tussle broke out as pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to block access to the ceremony.
The school had moved its commencement ceremonies to the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles after protesters camped out on the graduation stage at the campus, the Times reported.
Other schools, such as Columbia University in New York and the University of Southern California, canceled their main commencement ceremonies.
You can watch Seinfeld’s speech below:
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