During the commencement ceremony, Tarsis Salome, a Columbia social work graduate, wearing a keffiyeh and with zip-tied hands, tore her diploma to shreds while on stage, TRT reported.
The move came after the university canceled its main graduation ceremony due to heightened security fears after some pro-Palestinian students erected a tent encampment there.
Pro-Palestine college campus protests have been persistent since April 17, when students at Columbia University launched an encampment in solidarity with Gaza and demanded that their school divest from Israel.
More than 2,000 people have been arrested at US campuses since last month amid heavily polarised debates over the right to protest, the limits of free speech, and accusations of antisemitism.
Demonstrations and sit-ins are also being held on campuses in parts of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
AMK/PR