Anti-Israel Grads Disrupt CUNY Law School Ceremony
City University of New York School of Law graduates displayed anti-Israel signs and Palestinian flags at their commencement ceremony, continuing a pattern of protests at the institution since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
Multiple new law school graduates used the graduation stage to display political signs and Palestinian flags after receiving their diplomas, as New York Post reports, with social media footage capturing the demonstration at the Long Island City, Queens campus.
The protest signs carried varied messages, including one demanding “CUNY divest from genocide NOW” and another calling for the university to cease directing tuition funds toward what protestors termed “Israeli crimes.” Another placard read “Jews against genocide,” while several graduates waved Palestinian flags during the ceremony.
The incident marks the latest chapter in an ongoing controversy at CUNY Law, which has become a flashpoint for anti-Israel activism since Hamas launched its murderous assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the subsequent Gaza conflict.
According to New York Post, the law school faced severe criticism in 2023 when graduate Fatima Mousa Mohammed delivered what many characterized as a hate-filled commencement address that attacked both Israel and the New York Police Department. The backlash was substantial enough that administrators eliminated student speakers from the 2024 ceremony entirely.
The controversy continued into 2025, when graduates boycotted their official commencement and staged a walkout to conduct a separate pro-Palestine demonstration. That event featured remarks from Ramzi Kassem, who currently serves as top legal adviser to Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The recurring protests highlight the deeply entrenched anti-Israel sentiment that has taken root at the public law school, with each graduating class since the Gaza war began finding new ways to inject Middle East politics into what traditionally serves as an academic and professional milestone.
The footage was first publicized by Jewish Breaking News, which has tracked the escalating activism at CUNY Law over the past year.
With information from New York Post
