US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield will not be delivering this year’s commencement address at the University of Vermont (UVM) amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus, the university announced.

UVM is holding its 223rd commencement on May 18 and 19, and on April 19, the university announced, adding that Ms Thomas-Greenfield, “one of the nation’s most accomplished diplomats”, would be its 2024 commencement speaker.

On Friday evening, the university’s president, Suresh Garimella, issued another statement expressing regret: “It is with regret that I share that our planned speaker, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will not be joining us to deliver the Commencement address.”

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