Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with U of C police near graduation

>> TODAY'S COMMENCEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WAS ANYTHING BUT USUAL. ALONG WITH THE AWARDING OF DEGREES AND CONGRATULATIONS. THERE WAS ALSO A PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTEST AND ALLEGATIONS THAT DEMONSTRATORS WERE PEPPER SPRAYED. THERE WERE GESTURES OF DEFIANCE BY STUDENTS PROTESTING THE WAR IN GAZA AT THIS MORNING'S UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CONVOCATION. THIS IS OTHERS IN THEIR SUPPORTERS TOOK TO THE STREETS IN PROTEST. GREAT, GREAT. SHAME ON YOU. >> GREAT GREAT, SHAME ON YOU. >> AS THE SCHOOL WITHHELD THE DIPLOMAS OF AT LEAST FOUR SENIORS OVER THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN A PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENT, THE ENCAMPMENT AT THE SCHOOL WAS CLEARED MAY 7TH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL THE UNIVERSITY DIVEST DISCLOSES AND REPAIRS. HUNDREDS JOINED THE CHORUS OF STUDENTS DEMANDING THEIR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES STOP DOING BUSINESS WITH ISRAEL OR COMPANIES. THEY SAY SUPPORT THE WAR IN GAZA. >> GRADUATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN. ABOUT THE COMPLAINT, ABOUT THE WAR. YEAH. CHICAGO. DIVEST NOW. >> WE WILL JUST REFUSE TO HELP. >> WE WANT JUSTICE. YOU SAY HOW THE DISRUPTION TO THE RAINY HOURS LONG OUTDOOR CEREMONY WAS BRIEF. >> SOME STUDENTS WAVED PALESTINIAN FLAGS, WHILE OTHERS WORE TRADITIONAL BLACK AND WHITE CHECKERED SCARVES OVER THEIR ROBES AS A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY. BUT DURING A SEPARATE RALLY IN MARCH, SOME PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS CLASHED WITH UNIVERSITY POLICE. ONE WOMAN SAYS SHE WAS PEPPER SPRAYED IN THE FACE. >> UCPD GRABBED MY ARM, WAS PULLING ME INTO HIS LINE AND AS HE WAS PULLING ME IN, HE WAS YELLING, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT AND THEN SOMEBODY PEPPER SPRAYED ME. >> IN AN EMAILED STATEMENT, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE UNIVERSITY CONFIRMS AN INTERACTION BETWEEN POLICE AND A PROTESTER, WRITING IN PART, DEMONSTRATORS AT A PROTEST ON EAST 59TH STREET AND SOUTH UNIVERSITY AVENUE ATTEMPTED TO ACCESS A CLOSED STREET AND BREAK THROUGH A BARRIER ERECTED BY THE UNIVERSITY. A SMALL NUMBER OF PROTESTERS ACTED VIOLENTLY. ONE PROTESTER, WHO IS UNAFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY WAS ARRESTED. CHARGES ARE BEING SOUGHT FOR BATTERY. THE UNIVERSITY MADE NO OTHER STATEMENTS ABOUT THE PROTEST. UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENT ON THE PROTESTS, AND SAY THAT DEGREES MAY

Channel: ABC 7 Chicago

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Keywords: news, uchicago protests, convocation uchicago, uchicago convocation 2024, uchicago graduation 2024, university of chicago, uchicago, uchicago graduation, palestine protest chicago, palestine protest, college protests, chicago protest, israel hamas war, uchicago commencement, university of chicago graduation, protest, chicago, chicago news, chicago breaking news

Id: rBZG0AS6wLI

Length: 2min 25sec (145 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 01 2024