ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Outside of Washington University's Francis Olympic Field Monday morning, graduates walked towards commencement and passed pro-Palestinian protestors chanting and holding up signs.
"We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose, divest!" protestors chanted.
Groups were rallying near Washington University's 163rd commencement.
Sarah Nixon said, "I think the message is clear: divest, disclose and drop the charges."
Resist WashU and the St. Louis Palestinian Solidarity Committee protested adjacent to the campus before commencement began at 9 a.m. Their efforts continued during and after the ceremony.
Once inside, 3,400 graduates embraced some of the changes for this year's ceremony.
After on campus protests almost three weeks ago, school leaders required certain items, including tickets and clear bags.
On April 27, more than 250 students, alumni and community members organized an encampment in solidarity with Palestinians and to divest from Boeing.
More than 100 people were arrested and 23 students along with nine employees were suspended.
On May 2, Student Union Senate sent the below letter to administration. It condemns the police response and demands amnesty for all suspended students.
The next day on May 3, Chancellor Andrew Martin released this statement, calling it "Our Path Forward." In part, it addressed the current times on campus and commencement, "We’re hopeful that everyone in the WashU community will do their part to help ensure that these students in particular are able to have at least one graduation that is memorable for the right reasons."
Changes are something this class is familiar with.
Amelia Schwartz said, "We didn't get graduation in high school, so I think a lot of people are worried what it means to have protestors at commencement but it's their right to free speech."
On Monday, some outside protestors climbed the back of the bleachers to wave flags and held up signs. Police officers told them to get down.
Chants could be heard all the way to the front of the stage.
Safa Khatib is a WashU graduate student and one of the people holding up signs outside of the field.
"Think of students in the West Bank, in Gaza, who don't have a graduation right now. It is commencement and we are proud of everyone graduating, we are saying this is a way of supporting them and supporting everybody," Khatib shared.
At the same time, award-winning actress Jennifer Coolidge made her commencement speech. She talked about self acceptance and the challenges this generation may face.
"There is war and famine spreading across the world... as you know, protests across campuses," she said, as the crowd cheered.
Towards the end, there were mixed responses of Chancellor Andrew Martin's speech.
Two students were seen standing with their back faced towards him. Others held their graduation caps high. One said "Free Palestine" and another had a Palestinian flag.
Martin said, "You alone reap the rewards or live with the consequences and we've certainly seen this at play on our campus these past few weeks. You witnessed first hand how choices played out through your own experiences or those of your peers. Everything costs something, everyone has a different idea of what they're willing to pay."
Some students booed, while others got up and walked out. One held a kuffiyyeh, which is a cotton headdress, in their hands, putting it out front for the crowd to see.
Some graduates stood up at the end and clapped for the chancellor.
The ceremony wrapped up with confetti shooting out, which is the first time there have been confetti machines.
The day before the graduation, five of the nine suspended Washington University professors and employees held a news conference.
"We haven't heard anything from the university. No formal charges, no sign of any investigation, no sign of evidence to back up the allegations made in the letters we received, absolute silence. Of course, we all are pursuing our own collective measures of redress, which include potential legal action,” WashU anthropology professor Bret Gustafson said.