Amid heightened security prompted by recent campus protests that have led to dozens of arrests, UCLA held its main commencement ceremonies Friday at Pauley Pavilion, with individual school events planned throughout the weekend.
The main ceremony was split into three events this year. College Commencement Ceremonies were scheduled at Pauley Pavilion at 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m.
“For students, commencement is a powerful event — it’s the culmination of years of hard work,” Mary Osako, UCLA vice chancellor for strategic communications, said in a statement. “It’s also a profound moment for our graduates’ loved ones. Our greatest hope is that UCLA students and the beauty of this milestone moment is the main focus of these ceremonies.”
The venue enforced a clear bag policy for attendees. Graduates were not allowed to bring any large bags into the event, but were restricted to clear bags smaller than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.
All attendees were also required to pass through metal detectors to enter the arena.
Actor Sean Astin was the keynote speaker for the man ceremonies. During the morning ceremony, Astin did not shy away from addressing the unrest that has occurred on campus in recent weeks.
“Whether it’s hard to remember at any given moment because we are filled with moral outrage or political animus, we are the UCLA Bruin family, and we must not intimidate or bully each other,” Astin said. “We must not make each other feel small or less than. There has been anti-Palestinian, antisemitic, anti-intellectual, anti-free speech — there’s been simply too much anti. Even our pro can go too far. It can be rife with community-degrading upset.”
An estimated 15,000 Bruins are expected to receive their diplomas between Friday and Sunday.
Dozens of individual college ceremonies are scheduled Saturday and Sunday at various venues across the campus. Most will also have the same heightened restrictions and clear bag requirements for attendees.
The security follows weeks of concerns sparked by pro-Palestinian protests on the campus. Activists have been pushing for the university to divest from all businesses tied to Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. UCLA and University of California officials have resisted such calls.
The most recent action occurred Monday and ended with more than two dozen arrests. In May, more than 200 people were arrested when police dismantled a large pro-Palestine encampment that had been established in front of Royce Hall, which will host some of the this weekend’s graduation events.
On Wednesday, the UC Board of Regents announced that Dr. Julio Frenk, a global health expert and current president of the University of Miami, will take over as UCLA chancellor in January, replacing Gene Block. Block will step down from the post at the end of July and return to teaching.
UCLA Provost Darnell Hunt will serve as interim chancellor when Block steps down.