YEMEN Press Agency

American university withholds students’ graduation certificates for their support of Palestine

CHICAGO, June 03 (YPA) – A group of students from the American University of Chicago protested against the university’s decision not to grant graduation certificates to four students who participated in a student camp supporting Palestine.

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, the students launched the call “Stop Genocide” during a graduation ceremony organized by the university administration.

A number of students criticized the university’s decision during the graduation ceremony and left the ceremony.

A group of students gathered and organized a protest after the graduation ceremony, during which they carried Palestinian flags and banners supporting Palestine.

Thousands of students and many faculty members also signed a petition for the university administration to grant degrees to the four students, while more than 10 Chicago City Council members wrote a letter demanding this as well.

For his part, Youssef Haswa, one of the four students, said in a statement that he does not regret standing beside the people of Gaza, explaining that after completing his final exams, that is, approximately a week before graduation, he and three other students received emails about their certificates.

Haswa also stated that they were informed in the letter that their certificates would not be awarded until after the completion of disciplinary procedures related to their participation in the protest camp held on campus.

Since last April, students and academics at universities in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Spain, and India, have been organizing events demanding an end to the war on Gaza and the cessation of any support or cooperation with the Israeli occupation.

 

YPA

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