Citing safety, USC cancels speech by valedictorian who has publicly supported Palestinians

By JOHN ANTCZAK and JULIE WATSON
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of Southern California has canceled a commencement speech by its 2024 valedictorian, a Muslim student who has expressed support for Palestinians, citing substantial security risks for the event that draws 65,000 people to campus. The decision was announced in a statement Monday by Andrew T. Guzman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Guzman cited the “alarming tenor” of reaction to the school’s choice of valedictorian. The valedictorian is Asna Tabassum, who is graduating with a major in biomedical engineering and a minor in resistance to genocide. Tabassum says in a statement to the Los Angeles Times the university abandoned her after she was subjected to racist hatred by anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices.