Graduates carrying Palestinian flags left the stadium as the comic was being introduced.

Graduates carrying Palestinian flags left the stadium as the comic was being introduced. Duke University’s commencement saw a minor disruption when students protesting the war in Gaza walked out before Jerry Seinfeld spoke.

Video from Sunday’s event in Durham, North Carolina, showed about 30 students in cap and gown get up and leave their graduation ceremony as Seinfeld was introduced by Duke President Vincent Price.

Chants of “Free, free Palestine” could be heard as students carried the state’s green, red and black flag out of the football stadium.

In footage shared on social media, the audience could be heard booing, though it was unclear if the shouts were directed at Seinfeld or the protestors, which appeared to be a sliver of the 7,000 graduates in attendance.

Also audible were chants and jeers of “Jerry,” a reaction which sounded split between support and mockery of the sitcom star.

Seinfeld, who also received an honorary doctorate degree from the school on Sunday, has been a staunch supporter of Israel amid its response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

He’s posted on social media in solidarity with Israel several times since last fall’s incursion, and in December, the “Bee Movie” voice traveled to Tel Aviv to meet with the families of hostages captured by Hamas.

  • livus@kbin.socialOP
    6·
    6 months ago

    It’s not a binary tho, it’s more like a continuum, and it’s all relative.

    Seinfeld has been sounding off about kids these days being too “woke” and destroying comedy, which puts him pretty solidly to the right of most people here.

    • eyy
      3·
      6 months ago

      puts him pretty solidly to the right of most people here.

      i feel like lemmy is pretty left of reddit, which in itself is pretty left-leaning… so saying “right of most people here” is a really low bar

      • HubertManne@kbin.social
        2·
        6 months ago

        im not even sure its true. Its so funny to find out how right I am here. Curiously its not new for me. I went to a catholic university for two years before going a state school. I seemed incredibly left/USliberal/progressive at the catholic institution which was run by benedictions so its about as left as your going to get for a religions institution. Then at the state school I seemed maybe a bit left of center or downright center which is no surprise as it tends to be as left as you get.

      • livus@kbin.socialOP
        1·
        6 months ago

        Well, I’m from New Zealand. The majority of US Democrats are somewhat to the right of our main right-wing party, since it supports universal healthcare (most of the right wing also supports gun control legal prostitution and marriage equality).

        Reddit is left wing by American standards but not nearly as much by my standards. Lemmy is more normal to me (apart from hexbear).

        It’s an Overton Window thing.

      • reddwarf@feddit.nl
        21·
        6 months ago

        reddit, which in itself is pretty left-leaning.

        Thanks, I needed a good chuckle this morning and this absolute nonsense hit the right spot!

      • livus@kbin.socialOP
        2·
        6 months ago

        Could you be more specific?

        I think if he wants us to laugh he needs to come up with something funny.

        There’s no shortage of funny comedy out there including caricatures etc.