Columbia University acting President Claire Shipman was booed on stage as she addressed the class of 2025 during a graduation ceremony on Tuesday. Students chanted “Free Mahmoud!” in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a student and pro-Palestine protest leader who has been detained since March.

Shipman addressed students as she took the stage during the 2025 graduation ceremony on Tuesday morning.

What happened at Columbia University’s Class of 2025 graduation ceremony?

“Good morning, Class of 2025. I know that many of you feel some amount of frustration with me, and I know you feel it with the administration,” she said, according to NBC News. 

“And I know that we have a strong, strong tradition of free speech at this university. And I am always open to feedback, which I am getting right now,” Shipman added as students started booing her.

About 10 minutes into her speech, the crowd started chanting “Free Mahmoud!” Shipman reportedly paused her speech but didn’t further address the heckling.

Why did students boo Columbia University’s acting President?

The incident comes after Columbia University has been cracking down on pro-Palestine protests on campus. Some students have been criticizing the institution’s compliance with the Trump administration’s efforts to arrest and detain foreign students who participated in these protests. They say the school allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on campus.

Tuesday’s chants expressed support for Khalil, a Syrian graduate student and green card holder. He was arrested by ICE in March 2025 and is currently being detained in Louisiana, awaiting potential deportation

Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was also detained

Permanent resident Mohsen Mahdawi, who was born and grew up on the West Bank, was detained during a citizenship interview on April 14, according to NBC News. Mahdawi was released on bail last month and graduated on Monday with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. 

“Columbia gave me access to resources and spaces that helped shape me. But it also punished me for using my voice,” Mahdawi said in a statement on Tuesday. “I was harassed, surveilled, and isolated—for daring to speak about the realities of life under occupation, for saying that Palestinians deserve to live in dignity. I come from the West Bank. I know what it means to be told your life doesn’t matter. And when Columbia silenced students like me — when it treated our grief and outrage as threats — it mirrored the same systems we’re resisting.”

“Students who risked everything to protest injustice. Faculty who stood up. Staff who quietly supported us. That’s the Columbia I’m proud to be part of,” he added. “And I’ll continue to challenge this institution to live up to its values—long after this graduation.”