LOS ANGELES — A weekend of commencement ceremonies at a half-dozen California universities was underway Friday with no immediate sign of the major campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that have led to clashes with police and numerous arrests. Officials appealed for the graduates to be celebrated without disruptions at schools including the University of California’s campuses in Los Angeles and Santa Cruz, where major protests occurred in recent weeks. “Our greatest hope is that UCLA students and the beauty of this milestone moment is the main focus of these ceremonies,” said May Osako, UCLA vice chancellor for strategic communications, in a statement to the university community.
A similar message was issued at UC Santa Cruz, where Chancellor Cynthia Larive and Lori Kletzer, the provost and executive vice chancellor, announced that they would not attend ceremonies in hope of preventing protests targeting them. “You and your families have worked too many hours and spent considerable resources to make this day happen,” they wrote. “We do not want our presence at commencement to distract from families and friends recognizing and celebrating your accomplishment.
” Commencement events were also occurring through the weekend and into next week at the UC system’s Davis, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Barbara campuses. At a UCLA ceremony, an announcement asking for no disruptions was applauded. There was also a cheer when a speaker from the graduating .
