Notre Dame grads walk out on Pence speech
More than 100 protest at commencement
S OUTH BEND, I ND. Vice President Pence called Notre Dame a “vanguard of freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas” during his commencement address on Sunday.
Pence’s comments, though, were not heard by about 100 of the 3,171 graduates. As soon as the vice president and former Indiana governor stepped up to the podium — where he spent a chunk of his 15-minute address discussing his support for freedom of speech at universities — students quietly got up from their seats and left Notre Dame Stadium in protest of some of Pence’s policy positions.
This was not a surprise, but a staged protest some students had been planning for weeks. When Notre Dame announced in March that Pence would be the university’s graduation speaker, the student organization WeStaNDFor began brainstorming ways to take a stand.
Bryan Ricketts, who was Notre Dame’s student body president from 2015-16 and graduated Sunday with a dual degree in political science and chemical engineering, was one of the leaders. Ricketts told The Indianapolis Star that many of his peers were “upset and hurt” by the school’s decision to invite Pence because his “policies have impacted the humanity of certain graduates.”
About 100-plus students filed out of gates 27 and 28 of Notre Dame Stadium. They knew that once they left graduation, they would not be able to re-enter.
WeStaNDFor explained that they are primarily protesting Pence’s opposition to gay rights, his attempts as governor to prevent Syrian refugees from resettling in Indiana, his support of President Trump’s immigration travel ban, and his opposition to sanctuary cities that do not enforce federal immigration laws.
The group posted instructions for how to walk out on their website: “Walk away from Pence quietly, in confidence, with your head up high, taking your time. Embrace the moment, maybe even hold hands/lock arms with those joining you.”
Students had met with the Notre Dame police chief to figure out the most peaceful and “respectful” way to exit the stadium, Ricketts said. The university was aware of the protests ahead of time. Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, said in a statement that they’d only intervene “if the ceremony was seriously disrupted or anyone’s safety was put at risk.”
“I think it’s a disgrace,” said Nataline Duffy, who was in attendance with her husband Thomas from New Jersey to watch their son graduate. “We think it’s in poor taste. We think it’s disrespectful. It’s so unnecessary. This is a good man who is coming here for graduation.”
Duffy said her son, who graduated from a five-year MBA computer science program, did not participate in the walkout and did not know any students protesting.
Pence didn’t acknowledge the walkout outright but continued to stand up for students expressing