Today, two students graduating from Falmouth University disrupted their ceremonies. The students were drawing attention to the university’s alleged complicity in the genocide in Palestine.

In the first ceremony of the week, a Film student revealed a Palestinian flag as they walked across the stage. They held the flag above their head whilst standing in front of Dawn French, the Chancellor of the university, who was present at the ceremony to offer congratulations to those graduating this week.

The second disruption also took place during the 10am ceremony, when a Post Production and Visual Effects student also revealed a Palestinian flag from under their gown. The student was met with cheers and applause from the audience, alongside chants of ‘Free, Free Palestine’. Two security personnel promptly ushered him off the stage.

This display comes after a 4-month long encampment on the Penryn Campus in 2024, which sought to raise awareness on the issue and put pressure on the University to make changes to its banking providers. Falmouth University shares a campus with the University of Exeter.

The encampment also called for a demilitarisation of the campus’ research programmes and wider funding, amongst other demands. The encampment was dismantled by students in June after four people were arrested whilst occupying a university building. All charges were dropped.

After the encampment came to an end, further action has been taken by students to highlight the alleged involvement of the universities in the flow of arms and equipment to the Israeli state. This includes an “Award Ceremony” for Lord John Hutton, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic forum, and also Director of Pearson Engineering LTD.

Cobblestone Media managed to speak to one of the students soon after the protest. This is the brief statement they gave to us:

“This university is complicit in genocide. We as students have a moral obligation to speak up when our institutions are behaving immorally. This university is complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

It has also been found since the ceremony on Tuesday that Keffiyehs have been banned at Falmouth University Graduation ceremonies, along with all Palestinian flags. This was found to be the case when students attempted to enter the Sports Centre on Tremough campus, and found they were not permitted to wear the scarves inside.

Students have commented on the ban, describing it as a “racist and Islamophobic attempt to silence dissent amongst graduating students.” Speaking to Cobblestone after the event, another student said:

“Other universities like Cambridge and UCL have allowed flags to be waved by students as the walk over the stage and also wear Keffiyehs and other cultural dress.

“Falmouth University has been authoritarian in its handling of political protest not only within the setting of graduation: in the summer of 2024, 4 students were arrested whilst occupying a university building,  as part of the 4 month long Palestine Solidarity Encampment on the Penryn Campus.”

Both students who disrupted their graduation were escorted from the campus, prohibited from returning for the duration of the day.

Image via: Cobblestone Media