Hundreds of USC students flood campus in protest after college banned valedictorian's speech because of her antisemitic social media posts - as 130 faculty sign letter demanding to hear from her at graduation

Hundreds of students flooded the University of Southern California's campus to protest the cancelation of the valedictorian's speech over her pro-Palestine posts. 

The university banned Asna Tabassum from speaking at their May 10 commencement ceremony, citing safety concerns after her pro-Palestine views led to accusations of antisemitism.

The decision has been met with fury on campus - with her fellow students accusing the university of censorship and 130 faculty members signing a letter demanding to hear her speak at graduation. 

During Thursday's march, students held signs with photos of Tabassum, 21, reading 'let Asna speak'.

Tabassum, who is majoring biomedical engineering with a minor in resistance to genocide, would have addressed 65,000 people at the ceremony. USC officials chose her from nearly 100 student applicants who had GPAs of 3.98 or higher. 

The valedictorian has since come out to say that she is not anti-Semitic, and that she refuses to back down: 'I stand by exactly what I stand by'.

Hundreds of students flooded the University of Southern California 's campus on Thursday

They are accusing the university of censorship after they canceled valedictorian Asna Tabassum's speech at their commencement ceremony

Tabassum has been barred from speaking at the commencement ceremony due to alleged anti-Semitic social media posts

The march through campus followed a series of calls for her speech to be re-instated.

A letter from 130 faculty members said canceling her speech 'stifles open communication' while dozens of student groups signed a separate letter saying they were 'outraged and ashamed' by the decision. 

The scandal started after pro-Israel groups slammed Tabassum's selection for valedictorian, accusing her of anti-Semitism after it emerged the 21-year-old had made posts questioning the Israel-Hamas conflict.

A link in her Instagram bio led to a third-party page which said 'Zionism is a racist settler-colonialist ideology'.  

The college then removed Tabassum, who is a Muslim, from their graduation ceremony lineup stating that 'tradition must give way to safety'.

After she was banned from the talk, Tabassum told ABC7 she stands by her views, saying: 'I stand by exactly what I stand by.

'I don't believe it is ironic for me to minor in something called resistance to genocide, and then speak out on it and then be revoked because I'm penalized for something that people have an issue with.' 

Following the outrage, the university hinted this week that they would be canceling single-person valedictorian speeches in the future. 

Now, 130 faculty members have signed a letter calling for her to be allowed to speak

Tabassum also said that she wasn't buying the safety claim made by the university officials 

Some students even brought their dogs to the protest

After she was banned from the talk, Tabassum told ABC7 she stands by her views, saying: 'I stand by exactly what I stand by'

Tabassum also said that she didn't believe the safety claim made by the university officials after they offered her no specifics. 

She told the outlet: 'That was a primary emotion, pride and humility and humbleness. Very quickly it turned into shock and surprise.'

When she pressed officials at the school further, she said: '[It was] almost a one-way conversation - and then the next day they came to me.

'They gave me a call and said 'it's unfortunate, but you don't get to speak'. It has been a roller coaster, and I would say that's the best way to describe it.

'When people are using this particular issue as a way to discuss issues of free speech, of security, of first amendment, of racism, of hatred, of ideological debate.

'That is exactly what a university is supposed to do, that is exactly how we learn as college students. 

'It's not about the speech, it's about the representation, it's about the principle.' 

Speaking for the first time since she was banned from speaking, Tabassum has told ABC7 that she stands by her views

Pro-Israel groups criticized her selection after it emerged she had made posts questioning the Israel-Hamas conflict, with links that promoted antisemitism 

In letters sent to administrators, critics accused her of posting a link to a website that 'takes a swinging bat at over 10% of the USC student body and mudslings by calling Zionists 'racist-settlers.' 

Tabassum has shared pro-Palestinian views and 'likes' expressed through her Instagram account which she has since made private and removed her postings. 

Tabassum's Instagram bio links to a landing page that says 'learn about what's happening in Palestine, and how to help.' 

'Ms. Tabassum unabashedly and openly endorses the link's calls for 'the complete abolishment of the state of israel (sic),' according to a letter circulated for critics to submit to administrators. 

'As if the unqualified command for abolition of the State of Israel was unclear in any way, Ms. Tabassum's link reinforces racism with another link, urging readers to 'reject the hegemonic efforts to demand that Palestinians accept that Israel has a right to exist as a . . . Jewish state.'

Tabassum's pro-Palestinian stance and links promoting the abolition of Israel led to sites with prose, seen above

Tabassum has shared pro-Palestinian views and 'likes' expressed through her Instagram account which she has since made private and removed her postings

A link from Asna Tabassum leads to a website containing various antisemitic sentiments 

The university sidestepped any mention of Tabassum's alleged views and instead describing the reasoning as 'security reasons'.

'While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,' Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community. 

'This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation - including the expectations of federal regulators - that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe.

'It applies the same values and criteria that we have used in the past to guide our actions. 

'In no way does it diminish the remarkable academic achievements of any student considered or selected for valedictorian. 

'To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free- speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. 

'The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period.'

Tabassum is majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in resistance to genocide would have been planning to address 65,000 people at the ceremony

One Instagram account, We Are Tov, spend time looking through Tabassum's links

The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles has now demanded that Tabassum be permitted to speak at the event. 

While Tabassum herself suggested she was was being silenced and that her university had 'abandoned her'.

She wrote in a statement: ' Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.

'This campaign to prevent me from addressing my peers at commencement has evidently accomplished its goal.

'USC administrators informed me that the university will no longer allow me to speak at commencement due to supposed security concerns. 

'I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,' she went on.

'I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university -- my home for four years -- has abandoned me.'

Provost of USC Andrew  Guzman attends cited Tabassum's removal as being down to 'security concerns'

'While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,' Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community

USC officials chose her from nearly 100 student applicants who had GPAs of 3.98 or higher. Pictured, last year's ceremony

Provost Guzman, in a message to campus also said the uproar over the choice of valedictorian had taken on 'an alarming tenor.'

The university told the LA Times how threats had been made over email, letters and through phone calls to the campus. 

Guzman wrote: 'The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement.

'We cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses.

'As always, and particularly when tensions are running so high across the world, we must prioritize the safety of our community.

'And as we do every year, we have been monitoring our commencement security needs based on all the information we have and the facts on the ground. 

'We are resolute in our commitment to maintain and prioritize the existing safety and well-being of our USC community during the coming weeks, and allowing those attending commencement to focus on the celebration our graduates deserve.'