One person arrested during Northeastern University commencement in Boston
BOSTON - One person was detained as protests happened during Northeastern University's commencement Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park in Boston.
Protester removed and arrested
During the ceremony, members of the Class of 2024 held Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestinian phrases. Other students waved Israeli flags. Renata Nyul, Northeastern's vice president of communications, confirmed one person was removed from commencement and arrested.
This comes after weeks of on-campus demonstrating against the war between Israel and Hamas that's left thousands and thousands of people dead. An encampment at Northeastern was cleared by police early on a Saturday morning late last month. At commencement, the war in Gaza remained top of mind on stage and off.
"Right now as I speak to you, babies are being born by flashlight amongst rubble. Mothers bleed to death, unable to receive care for childbirth complications. And the lives of these mothers in Gaza and the entire population remain at risk every day that remains without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza," said commencement student speaker Rebecca Bamidele in her speech.
Crowd asked to quiet down
Boston Police had a large presence in and around Fenway Park during the commencement ceremony. At one point, a university dean had to ask the crowd to quiet down as students continued to speak out.
"We respect your passion and opinions, we respect your right to voice them in the appropriate setting," said Kellee Tsai, the Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. "This event honors our graduates and distinguished guests and it's a celebration of their achievements. Out of respect for your community and honored guests, I ask that you let us continue with this event."
Graduates told WBZ TV they were surprised with how the ceremony went, saying for the most part, things were under control.
"I think people expected it but there was a lot of security out there," said Northeastern graduate Peyton Cauthen. "They really had it under wraps. I really commend them for that but it's not the time."
