Protesters Take Over Stanford Graduation Ceremony, Objecting To University’s “Rape Culture”

Trigger warning: this article discusses rape and sexual assault.

The lingering controversy surrounding Stanford rapist Brock Turner and his lenient six-month sentencing at the hands of Judge Aaron Persky figured prominently at the elite university’s graduation ceremony on Sunday, Buzzfeed reports.

Graduating students attended the commencement with signs that read “rape is rape”, “Stanford protects rapists”, “rape culture has deep roots” and “1 in 3” (referring to the statistic that one in three female, transgender and gender-nonconfirming students will be assaulted in their time at Stanford).

Stanford student Paul Harrison carries a sign in a show of solidarity for a Stanford rape victim during graduation ceremonies at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California on June 12,2016. #brockturner #graduation #afp #stanford #california #paloalto

A photo posted by Gabrielle Lurie (@gabrielleluriephoto) on Jun 12, 2016 at 1:42pm PDT

#stanford #rape #commencement #2016

A photo posted by Kadri (@kadrikoop) on Jun 12, 2016 at 3:34pm PDT

#20MinutesOfAdvocacy pic.twitter.com/Rl2BeGS38G

— Brianne Huntsman (@ceohunty) June 12, 2016

Before the ceremony, a plane flew over Stanford Stadium, with the message “Protect Survivors, Not Rapists #PERSKYMUSTGO” behind it. The flight had been chartered by feminist organisation UltraViolet.

A Stanford tradition known as the “Wacky Walk”, where seniors stroll the football field in group costumes, also took on a more serious note, with some students avoiding costumes and instead parading their signs of protest.

The case itself – in which Turner was recently found guilty of raping a woman behind a dumpster on campus in January of 2015 – was only referred to in passing during speeches.

The university’s president, John Hennessy, called for a moment of silence “in solidarity with and support for the thousands of survivors of sexual and relationship violence”. At the end of the ceremony, he thanked the two graduating students who tackled Turner after finding him conducting the rape.

Ken Burns, the esteemed documentarian, stressed the importance of taking sexual assault “’effing seriously” in his commencement speech.

“If someone tells you they’ve been sexually assaulted, take it ‘effing seriously. And listen to them! Maybe, some day, we will make the survivor’s eloquent statement as important as [Martin Luther King Jr.’s] Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

Michelle Dauber, the Stanford law professor who is leading the charge to recall Judge Persky (a campaign that so far has more than a million digital signatures on Change.org), noted that Stanford is a “very conservative” school “not… known for activism.”

“So for students to launch a campaign like this …. I read this as a sign of the total lack of confidence or trust in the administration. I would say trust is at an all-time low.”

Are you experiencing sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available right now. Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

For more information on counselling and treatment plans you can contact your school’s health services as well as Reach Out.

Photo: Twitter / Brianne Huntsman.