When Sumayyah Khair al-Din took the stage at her event on Sunday, cries of "Free Palestine!" rang out as these words echoed when she faced her fellow graduates from the University of Ottawa and wrote on her hands the phrase "Withdraw Now."

The Telfer School of Management graduate said to CBC, "It was the least I could do."

Khair al-Din is the head of Insaf, one of the organizations behind the pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Ottawa.

She is also one of many students who protested at the university's graduation ceremony this month.

She said, "It’s not right for us to graduate and allow business as usual when we know that there are no longer any universities in Gaza."

After the ceremony, Khair al-Din returned to the camp that started over a month ago. She said students will stay there until the University of Ottawa takes their demands seriously.

The proposal did not "seriously address divestment."

These demands include a promise from the university to divest from companies that protesters say have ties to Israel and the conflict in Gaza.

Last week, the university included a proposal to release a complete list of its investments, including those in Israel.

However, it came with conditions, including that protesters do not disrupt the ceremony and pack up their belongings at the camp.

Aym Hakimi, one of the protesters, said the group rejected the proposal because it "does not take divestment seriously."

Protesters also want the university to explicitly clarify the racism against Palestinians and cut ties with academic institutions in Israel.

In a statement published on the university's website, Vice President of Academic Affairs Jacques Beauchemin expressed disappointment at the group's decision and that the university is working to find a solution with the students.

The statement said, "During discussions, we reaffirmed our commitment to maintaining responsible investment practices."

"The university is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), which is currently incorporated into our responsible investment guidelines. We are committed to reviewing our guiding principles through a human rights lens."

We will continue to protest until a compromise is reached.

University spokesperson Jessie Robichaud wrote in a statement to CBC that nearly 8,000 graduates from the class of 2024 will walk across the stage in 11 ceremonies this month.

Robichaud wrote, "Every individual in our community has the right to celebrate these achievements in an environment of safety and respect, and we have implemented enhanced security measures to ensure that the ceremony is inclusive and accessible to all."

But Dawood Najm al-Din, a student who protested at the graduation ceremony on Saturday afternoon, told CBC that the aim is not to disrespect students' achievements but to show up and remind the administration that they are not going anywhere.

He said, "If anyone is not respecting students, it’s the administration," accusing the university of not dealing with the protesters "in good faith."

Khair al-Din says the group is open to further discussion with the university and hopes to reach a compromise that meets their demands.

Hakimi added, "We will stay until the university... at least gives us something close to what we are demanding."