Sen. Romney’s graduation speech at Johns Hopkins briefly interrupted by protesters

BALTIMORE — In his graduation deal with at Johns Hopkins College Thursday, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney urged graduates to “place confidence in America and sooner or later. We’re a resilient nation,” throughout a speech interrupted by protesters.

Sirens, shouts and different sounds instantly blared as Romney was describing how “China and fellow authoritarians are working to destroy the liberal world order and change American management,” singling out what he mentioned had been Russian chief Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and homicide of his political opponents and Chinese language chief Xi Jinping’s remedy of the Uyghurs.

With out pausing, Romney responded to the noise saying, “It will be too unhealthy if we did not have an indication, would not or not it’s. It is good to make a distinction.” Then he added, “I believe that is the Good Humor truck. Does anybody desire a stick of ice cream? I will go on. You’ll be able to hear me all proper.”

That drew applause from the graduates gathered on the Baltimore campus’ Homewood Subject.

“And naturally populists right here at residence are attempting to do the identical factor you are seeing from authoritarians all over the world,” Romney mentioned, persevering with his speech. As protesters shouted, the retiring senator turned and waved at them. “Hello, guys, we obtained the message. Thanks.”

Shortly after that, Maureen Marsh, senior vp of the college’s board of trustees, stepped to the rostrum, to handle the protests.

“At Johns Hopkins, we strongly worth free expression and completely help our college students’ proper to reveal. However we might ask that you simply now permit the ceremony to proceed with out interruption,” she mentioned to some cheers and applause earlier than Romney wrapped up his remarks.

The message of the protesters couldn’t been seen or clearly heard on the campus’ stay streaming of the ceremony. The Baltimore Banner information website reported the siren and different sounds got here from a close-by street whereas one other group on the high of the sphere’s bleachers unfurled a banner studying, “FREE PALESTINE DIVEST FROM OCCUPATION,” and chanted, “Let Gaza stay!”

The protesters had been escorted from the ceremony, a college spokesman informed the Deseret Information.

‘The actual foreign money of life’

Ronald Daniels, the college’s president, thanked Romney for his deal with and his “persistence within the face of some problem. We heard you. We have fun you and your message is significant. Once more, we’re honored that you’re right here. That is the Hopkins method. We pay attention. Open minds and open hearts.”

Romney’s speech included warnings that synthetic intelligence is “probably the most damaging expertise because the atom bomb was unleashed,” and will likely be “100 occasions extra highly effective” throughout the subsequent decade in addition to about local weather change. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee additionally mentioned the U.S. authorities “is in commotion, mirrored within the nationwide division and political demonization.”

He suggested the graduates to take care of what he mentioned is a turbulent world by not defining themselves by their careers, however “by issues which can be completely in your management, your love for your loved ones, your friendships, your religion, your service to others,” saying “the actual foreign money of life is the folks you like.”

Individuals, Romney mentioned, “have weathered wars and pandemic and monetary crises and have all the time emerged stronger. The power comes from the character of our folks and from our leaders, moms and dads, pastors and rabbis, academics and professors, and sure, even presidents.”

The nation’s power is “empowered by our freedom. American folks pursuing their very own desires have overcome any problem, any menace. Freedom is, in truth, a robust elixir. The world is in commotion, however stability and that means will likely be present in friendships, in love, and in commitments,” he mentioned. “This, in truth, is simply what America and the world wants now.”

Romney, the chief of the 2002 Winter Video games in Salt Lake Metropolis, was certainly one of a number of recipients of an honorary physician of humane letters diploma from Johns Hopkins, a listing that included musician Stevie Surprise. Surprise, who carried out within the 2002 Paralympics opening ceremonies held on the College of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, performed a medley of his hits on stage Thursday.

Surprise informed the graduates as he performed to “use your voice, your spirit to let the sound of unity and coming collectively for the that means of ending all struggle perpetually throughout this world that we stay in.” The struggle in Gaza was talked about briefly by the coed graduation speaker, Kristen Corlay Sanmiguel.