Notre Dame Students Walk Out During Mike Pence's Commencement Speech
Dozens of students walked out of Vice President Mike Pence’s commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday.
One student sported a rainbow cape, while a number of others who walked out in protest bore rainbow flags on their graduation caps. Pence, a former governor of Indiana, has a history of hostility toward the LGBTQ community.
A large group of students just walked out of Notre Dame's commencement during VP Mike Pence's address. #ND2017 pic.twitter.com/g3dCuqPbXg
— WNDU (@WNDU) May 21, 2017
Notre Dame (85% Catholic) students walk out as @VP @mike_pence begins his address. #WalkoutND pic.twitter.com/mJQxOF3P9D
— Summer Ratcliff (@SummerRatcliff) May 21, 2017
As promised, dozens of new Notre Dame grads leave stadium when VP Pence begins his commencement address. Some in the audience boo. pic.twitter.com/M6LWQVynRT
— Jim Williams (@JimWilliamsCBS2) May 21, 2017
About 150 students/family members participated in walk-out of @VP Pence speech pic.twitter.com/rjjobvMSjl
— Erin Blasko (@ErinBlasko) May 21, 2017
In his remarks at the Indiana university, the vice president criticized what he called campus “safe spaces” and urged students not to suppress free speech.
“While this institution has maintained an atmosphere of civility and open debate, far too many campuses across America have become characterized by speech codes, safe spaces, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness ― all of which amounts to the suppression of free speech,” he said. “These practices are destructive of learning and the pursuit of knowledge.”
Pence is not the only political speaker who’s received a mixed welcome at the university. In 2009, then-President Barack Obama faced protests over his support for abortion rights, with some graduates choosing to skip the ceremony altogether.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.