Thousands of UA students celebrate graduation day after police, protesters clash on campus

Thousands of University of Arizona students celebrated in the school’s 160th commencement Friday night, an evening ending in a fireworks show and pyrotechnics.

The graduation celebrated the Class of 2024, a student body that had experienced hardships both nationally and at UA. The group's resilience was a focal point for the night.

“We’ve been through a lot as a community,” UA President Robert Robbins said. “I know the past few years have had their challenges, but we keep coming back.”

The sparkling celebration came less than 24 hours after police used chemical irritants and rubber bullets on a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters on UA’s campus. While much of the previous night’s events went unspoken, some signs remained.

Flyers reading “All eyes on Rafah” — referencing Israel Defence Force’s ongoing ground invasion into an area of Gaza with more than a million people — were scattered throughout the outside of the stadium and placed on car windshields. The back of the flyer read: “Shame on University of Arizona for wielding brutality against peaceful protesters.”

While Robbins previously said in an announcement that university officials were unaware of significant injuries during the protests, student groups say there were. The flyer depicted photos of what appeared to be rubber bullet injuries, but it's unclear who placed them.

“University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services personnel were on site when the illegal encampment was cleared to provide care for any significant injuries to students, faculty, staff, protestors, or law enforcement," a university spokesperson said in a statement. "None were reported.”

Protest representatives said two faculty members were arrested Thursday night. They were among other professors and instructors who wanted to protect students after a similar encampment was broken up with pepper balls and rubber bullets earlier this month. As student protests grew nationwide, Robbins took a hard-line stance for those on his campus.

"University President Robert C. Robbins has initiated a zero-tolerance approach to enforcing its campus use policy to protect the campus, students, faculty, visitors, and university events," read a statement sent to the campus community.

When Robbins took the stage Friday night, he was initially met with boos from the crowd, which later turned to cheers. The president announced earlier this year he would be stepping down at the end of his term in 2026 or as soon as he can be replaced in an ongoing search. It was the latest update in a series of national headlines for the university, stemming from a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall discovered last fall.

Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Alyssa Sanchez addressed her colleagues, saying empathy fueled her time as a student leader on campus. The first Latina student body president at UA referenced progress students made in creating a welcoming environment for marginalized groups.

“Let’s continue to dismantle misconceptions and celebrate the diversity that enriches our community,” Sanchez said.

Commencement speaker Craig T. Nelson congratulated the class of 2024 for the hardships the students endured throughout their college careers.

“You, as the graduating class of 2024, have gone through an enormously difficult time,” he said. "Faced with the pandemic. You have been faced with disillusion. You have been faced with hopelessness, despair."

Nelson went on to reflect on his own life, touching on his recovery from alcoholism and joking about less than savory reviews from The Arizona Republic over wardrobe malfunctions from early in his long career.

Nelson played Hayden Fox in the sitcom “Coach” and Mr. Incredible in the movie series “The Incredibles.” The actor left school shortly before he was supposed to get his degree, but was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts on Friday.

“I’ve never had a tassel on before,” Nelson said. “At least, not that I know of.”

Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: University of Arizona commencement ceremony focuses on resilience