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Harvard College’s Class of 2028 enjoyed a surprisingly smooth Convocation — an event typically marked by protest — despite heightened concerns among University leadership that large-scale campus demonstrations will return in the fall.

Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana addressed 1,650 freshmen in a sun-drenched Tercentenary Theatre. In their speeches, administrators repeatedly emphasized the right to protest and dissent and respect for differing viewpoints, hinting at the controversies that plagued Harvard’s campus following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The absence of disruptive yelling and large banners suggest that the College’s disciplinary action against student protesters in the spring has initially deterred campus activists from staging rowdy protests. Though the fall semester has not yet begun and many students are still moving onto campus, Convocation has historically seen protests staged by pro-Palestine groups on campus.

Though organizers did not chant between speakers as in previous years, they distributed pamphlets titled “The Harvard Crimeson” — which was first created by pro-Palestine organizers for Commencement — to freshmen as they filed into the Old Yard. Copies included a history of protests at Harvard and a map of “Harvard’s crimes throughout its history.”

“Welcome to the College. Everything is normal all the political controversy is behind us,” the front page reads. “Harvard backs and bankrolls Palestinian genocide.”

Despite the lack of disruptions during Convocation, there was a noticeable presence of Harvard University Police Department officers throughout the Yard.

As students in the audience flipped through the pamphlets slamming Harvard for being complicit in genocide, administrators on stage shied away from directly addressing the subject, instead leaning on language around “intellectual vitality.”

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“Being in this environment, in this community, means having rights and responsibilities,” Garber said at the beginning of his speech. “Those gathered here have the right to express themselves freely — to dissent and to protest — but they also have the responsibility to act with each of you and the meaning of this occasion in mind. We are convened to welcome you.”

Last week, Garber sent an email to undergraduates ahead of the start of the fall semester informing students to be “prepared to be held accountable” for participating in protests that violate University policies.

Garber’s email signaled the administration is seeking to prevent the recurrence of large-scale demonstrations that occurred last semester, including the 20-day pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard and the large-scale walkout during the University’s Commencement ceremonies in May.

Harvard Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90 sent an additional email to Harvard affiliates on Friday stating the University is prepared to use police force to end protests that cause “substantial” disruption.

In emails sent to freshmen ahead of Convocation, administrators also warned against bringing signs and flags to the class photo — a line newly added to the pre-ceremony email this year.

“Please note that no signs or flags will be allowed in the photo. Any items brought to the Widener steps will be held until the completion of the photo,” the email stated.

Khurana — who announced last week that he will be stepping down from his position at the helm of the College in June 2025 — acknowledged the “divisions on campus, divisions in the country,” and “divisions in the world,” but urged students to nurture a “willingness to connect with others.”

He underscored “responsibility and accountability” as one of the core principles to which students should adhere, noting that while “a university is a place where we will often disagree, often vehemently,” there is still a “responsibility to do so with humility and thoughtfulness and kindness.”

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“The challenges of last year showed us that we have more to do to reach globalistic ideals and meet the obligations of our community,” Khurana said. “Our words have enormous power. Think about what power you want to put into the world.”

The ceremony also included remarks from Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Students Thomas Dunne, and Harvard Alumni Association President Moitri Chowdhury Savard ’93.

Ashley C. Adirika ’26 and Jonathan Hailselassie ’26, the co-presidents of the Harvard Undergraduate Association, also addressed the class in dual speeches.

Harvard choruses and the Kuumba Singers performed during the event, and ceremonial tracks from the Harvard Band reverberated throughout the Old Yard as freshmen lined up to take their class photo on the steps of Widener Library to close out the ceremony.

—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at michelle.amponsah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah.

—Staff writer Joyce E. Kim can be reached at joyce.kim@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @joycekim324.