Hundreds of students withdrew from the graduation ceremony at the prestigious Stanford University in California, yesterday, Sunday, as part of the spring wave of pro-Palestinian protests on American university campuses, according to what was reported by NBC News.

Students stood and began to walk away at the beginning of a speech by outgoing university president Richard Saller, who said: “Don’t let your convictions inhibit your ability to listen and learn.”

Videos verified by NBC News showed the graduation ceremony as students wearing black robes and cardinal red trim calmly walked away from their seats on the field at Stanford Stadium.

A group called Stanford Against Apartheid in Palestine organized an “alternative graduation” for those who started after the official commencement, according to a post on its Instagram page.

The event was held off campus, in the nearby town of Menlo Park, in support of fellow students who were reportedly banned from attending campus celebrations on Sunday after being arrested at previous pro-Palestinian protests.

"Join us today to celebrate and honor our detained comrades whose testimonies will be withheld because of their struggle against genocide," the group's post read.

Authorities said more than a dozen protesters were arrested on June 5 after they briefly took over the office of the president of Stanford University.

They said that some of them were expelled from the university.

The participants were part of the pro-Palestinian protests that called on the institution to withdraw its investments from Israel amid the fierce war it has been waging against Gaza since last October 7.