By Danielle DeBlasio

RICHMOND, VA, May 11 – Today was graduation day at Virginia Commonwealth University and the graduates gathered this morning at the Greater Richmond Convention Center for their big commencement ceremony. Opening remarks were given by Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos and VCU President Michael Rao.

But as the commencement speaker, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, began his address, hundreds of students stood up and silently walked out of the building in protest. Gathering outside, they were joined by a march of supporters chanting against academic censorship. (See the video HERE.)

The students then gathered at a nearby park where several explained their own reasons for walking out on the governor. (See the video HERE.)

Discontent had been brewing at the school since February, when the university announced its decision to honor Youngkin by inviting him to give the commencement address. Students and faculty pointed to his interference in racial literacy courses and attacks on the rights of trans students as reasons why he should not be welcomed.

Tensions grew over the last few weeks after Youngkin announced his support for President Rao’s decision to call in hundreds of campus, city and state police on April 29 to dismantle a peaceful Gaza solidarity encampment, followed by an unprovoked attack on the protesters that saw several people injured and 13 arrests. (Read the Defender report HERE.)

Then, just yesterday, VCU’s Board of Visitors, half of whose members were appointed by Youngkin, voted against including racial literacy courses as part of the core curriculum for first-year students, much to the dismay of many students, faculty, and student organizations across the school. Youngkin had previously asked the university to submit its syllabus for the courses for his review.

Adding insult to injury, President Rao awarded Youngkin an honorary doctorate degree at today’s commencement ceremony.

Today’s protest took place in a wider context of dissent by VCU students, particularly in response to Israel’s assault on Gaza.

The day after the police attack on the student protesters, Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner voted to send $26 billion more in “aid” to Israel. Students and community members responded to that move on May 6 by marching to Kaine’s Richmond office to deliver an Open Letter, signed by hundreds of organizations and individuals, demanding he not vote to send any more money to Israel and call on VCU to divest from companies doing business there.

The Defenders extend our congratulations to all VCU graduates and commend those who participated in this morning’s walkout to protest the Governor.