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Brawl Erupts at Community College Graduation Ceremony

A graduation ceremony came to a halt after a vicious fight led to arrests.

Police were forced to intervene at a community college graduation after a fight between two families erupted in the crowd. The melee unfolded on Thursday during a graduation ceremony at Gateway Community College in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Officers were called to the venue around 6:15 p.m. and had to move in to separate those involved as the confrontation escalated. One parent at the ceremony blasted the venue’s security response, telling local news they were “appalled” by how slowly staff reacted. “It just seems unbelievable that an arena that size would not have a protocol and security with all eyes on the situation,” the parent said. Authorities said three women were charged—two with assault of a public safety officer and second-degree breach of peace, while a third was charged with breach of peace. School officials said diploma presentations were briefly paused while officers restored order. The chaos came the same day a kindergarten graduation in Ohio was also derailed by a parents’ brawl, making it an unusually turbulent week for commencement season.

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