Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has expressed support for the University of Southern California's decision to cancel the main commencement ceremony for 2024 graduating students in May, citing safety concerns as the primary reason. The mayor emphasized the importance of prioritizing the safety of attendees, as the university was anticipating a crowd of approximately 65,000 people on campus.
Mayor Bass, who is an alumna of USC, acknowledged the necessity of the decision while noting that individual schools and departments within the university will still proceed with their own graduation ceremonies.
In response to the cancellation of the main ceremony, a USC professor critical of the school's handling of pro-Palestinian protests highlighted the initial decision to revoke the valedictorian's commencement speech as a triggering factor for demonstrations on the Los Angeles campus.
Asna Tabassum, the valedictorian whose speech was canceled, raised concerns about the university's motives, questioning whether the decision was solely based on safety considerations. Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim, suggested that the revocation of her speaking invitation may have been influenced by external pressures, including alleged attacks and harassment from anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian groups.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has echoed these sentiments, accusing USC of bowing to pressure from extremist factions in its decision-making process. The controversy surrounding the cancellation of the valedictorian's speech ultimately led to the university's announcement of the complete cancellation of the main commencement ceremony, a move that has stirred further debate and scrutiny within the USC community.
