Separately, on Monday, the University of Southern California canceled the commencement speech of its valedictorian – biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim – after her social media posts were targeted by pro-Israel activists, raising questions about the existence of free speech. “Tradition must give way to safety,” USC Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in an online, campuswide letter announcing his decision to axe Tabassum’s speech. In her Instagram profile, she links to a website that calls for the abolishment of the state of Israel. The content of the commencement speech was not mentioned in Guzman’s letter announcing the cancellation, and he argued it was not about speech but about security. When Fisk tried to grab the microphone from Afaneh, the mixer turned into a social media moment.

---

Persons: ”, Tabassum, –, Andrew Guzman, Jon Chu, Rich Asians ”, Asna Tabassum, CNN’s Nick Watt, ” Tabassum, “, Guzman, ” Guzman, there’s, Tom Cotton of, ” Cotton, Cotton, George Floyd, Sen, John Fetterman, Erwin Chemerinsky, Catherine Fisk –, Fisk, Malak Afaneh, Chemerinsky, Jake Tapper, Defamation League “ Organizations: CNN — Pro, Israel, University of Southern, USC, Rich Asians, Bay, Republican, Fox News, The New York Times, Pennsylvania Democrat, Starbucks, University of California, Berkeley Law, Justice, CNN, Islamic Relations, CAIR, Defamation League Locations: Gaza, Bakersfield , California, University of Southern California, USC, Los Angeles, Israel, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Ann Arbor , Michigan, Berkeley, Oakland , California, Palestine, United States