Nick Mills: Students co-opting graduation ceremonies for pro-Palestine protests are out of line

Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

OPINION

Anyone who knows me knows how important I think Victoria and Massey Universities are for our city.

Wellington lights up when the students arrive at the beginning of the year, and the city dies down when they leave.

Well today through to Thursday is graduation week for a lot of students from Victoria University.

This is the highlight for not only the students graduating, but a highlight for family and whanau celebrating a lot of hard work.

So when I first heard that a student group was planning to co-opt this week's graduation events with a pro-Palestine demonstration I said to myself no way.

Now this is nothing to do with what they are protesting against; we can put that to the side.

It's more the fact that some things in life have to be free of any form of political protest.

Some things are special, some things are too important, some things are just completely inappropriate for a protest.

To me, graduation parades should be left alone. Students should be left to be themselves; to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of their great work.

Student Justice for Palestine Poneke organiser Hana Pilkington-Ching says students should use the celebrations to raise awareness of the war in Gaza by bringing Palestine flags or signs to the ceremonies.

She says New Zealand students need to recognise that education is under attack in Palestine and there are no universities left in Gaza.

Some would argue it is absolutely something to protest.

I would say a graduation parade is the wrong place, and the wrong time. Some things should be left alone and one of them is graduation.

You don't ask people to turn up to your nan’s funeral wearing a ‘Bring Back Buck’ t-shirt.

You don’t go to a wedding holding a nuclear-free New Zealand banner.

No. These things are special.

Some things should be left alone and I strongly believe there should be no political aspect to a graduation.

There should be no pressure on these students to feel obligated to be involved.

This is their day and their family's day. The thought of people trying to hijack this event angers me.

It’s wrong.

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