AMHERST — On a Friday morning filled with music, ceremony and speeches by state leaders to inaugurate Javier Reyes as the 31st leader of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the first Hispanic chancellor of the flagship campus, protesters caused multiple interruptions inside and outside the Mullins Center, with most of these aimed at encouraging UMass officials to divest from supporting Israel in its continued siege of Gaza.

As UMass President Marty Meehan began the investiture for Reyes, several students and supporters, holding banners and chanting, made their way up toward the stage and then proceeded to march through the audience, chanting “free, free Palestine” and “this is what revolution looks like.” Even after being escorted out by security and campus police, they continued to look through the bank of windows facing Commonwealth Avenue into the building’s hallways and make their voices heard.

While Reyes delayed his speech until there was calm inside — observing that this gave him an opportunity to let it sink in that his chancellorship was becoming official — he began his talk only after a warning was issued about the continuing disruptive behavior.

Reyes proceeded to get emotional while recognizing his family, sons Javi and Diego and his parents Jorge and Lulu, his brothers Jorge and Carlos, and his friends, including those he grew up with in Mexico, wiping away tears as he spoke. But then he got to what he called the hardest part, talking about his wife, Maritza.

“You have been with me every step of the way for the past 31 years,” he said, again pausing to dab his eyes, “and you are the reason why we have been able to do what we do. Your compassion, wisdom, patience, love and strong will are the foundation of our family.”

An economist who previously was interim chancellor at the University of Illinois Chicago, and held leadership positions at West Virginia University and the University of Arkansas, Reyes is succeeding Kumble Subbaswamy in the chancellor role.

Referencing the ongoing protests, Reyes said he wants a campus where academic freedom and freedom of expression in all forms are welcomed.

“Our university must be a place where challenging ideas are explored, and diverse perspectives are welcomed,” Reyes said. “We must instill in our community, faculty, students and staff, that while we may not always agree, the power of persuasion lies not in being the loudest and most disruptive, but in making the strongest case through civil dialogue grounded in facts, logic and reason.”

The inauguration took place inside a mostly darkened arena, bathed in a soft maroon light, with a large screen behind the stage and podium with the words “Propel UMass Amherst Forward” written on the screen — a reference to what officials say Reyes is doing to “propel UMass forward as a powerful economic engine at the forefront of higher education.”

After faculty and staff, all formally attired, entered and filled the chairs at the front, a loud round of applause greeted Reyes and his family. The UMass Wind Ensemble, the UMass Trumpet Quintet and the UMass Chamber Choir all performed, as well.

While Reyes has been in charge of the campus since July 1, he talked about how UMass can fulfill its role as a premiere land-grant public research university, expounding on a strategic plan focusing on education; research and creative activity; translation and knowledge transfer; engagement; inclusivity and wellness; and financial and operational viability.

He also said it is vital to go beyond offering an equitable opportunity for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students.

“We must continue to embrace our role as the primary de vel opment of talent in the commonwealth, while ensuring that all of our students, regardless of their discipline, have the core skills, soft skills and critical thinking skills that will allow them to thrive in a rapidly changing economy and a rapidly changing world,” Reyes said.

For the larger community, he called on everyone to participate in the vast offering of cultural events.

‘Free, free Palestine’

Just after Meehan took the stage as the first speaker, the first interruption began, with call and response chants of “free, free Palestine.” He stopped speaking until a handful of people left, the first of a wave of 10 to 15 students at a time, most masked and in casual attire, and some carrying signs, who were escorted out or left on their own.

As the number of students outside kept growing throughout the ceremony, to as many as 100 protesters, the disruptions inside didn’t stop.

Once Meehan continued, he called the inauguration “an opportunity for the UMass community to refresh our visions of the future and renew our commitment to getting there together.” So far, $15 million has been raised to support student aid in the first year by Reyes, Meehan said.

Gov. Maura Healey then took the podium, when protests began again. Like Meehan, Healey didn’t acknowledge them, speaking to Reyes and his family about what a great day it was for them and a great day for the commonwealth, as well.

“Today is a significant milestone for our state, because this university is profoundly impactful,” Healey said. “The things you do at UMass matter — they matter to the state, they matter to the world.”

Among the only speakers who didn’t face any disruption was U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern.

“He will be a wonderful, wonderful leader for this university,” McGovern said.

McGovern praised the dialogue and debate at the university and said he is inspired by students who lead peaceful protests.

“Protest and dissent are the core of who we are as a country,” McGovern said, adding that there is no room for antisemitism or Islamophobia.

Imani Wallace, a doctoral student in the College of Education and spoken word artist who performs as Lyrical Faith, recited an original poem, while the UMass Minuteman Marching Band also performed.

The final speaker before the investiture was Stephen Karam, chair of the UMass board of trustees, which confirmed the recommendation by Meehan to hire Reyes in February 2023. Karam referenced Reyes’ love for the movie “Star Wars,” comparing Reyes to the film’s main protagonist Luke Skywalker, before turning the podium back over to Meehan.

At that point, the disruption reached its loudest point, with a couple dozen protesters unfurling a banner and shouting, some calling out “shame on you!” and a handful of staff members holding signs demanding that the discipline be dropped against students who sat in at Whitmore Administration Building last October. Those faculty and staff who joined in from the audience were escorted out.

“As shared with demonstrators during today’s ceremony, free speech rights do not extend to disruptive behavior that conflicts with the rights of others in attendance to take part in the program, whether as speakers or guests,” UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski said. “The demonstrators were asked to leave and did so peacefully.”

Following the ceremony, protesters gathered outside the Mullins Center, chanting “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest” and “the people united will never be defeated.” They circled much of the arena in an effort to get attention of the faculty, staff and other dignitaries still in the building enjoying refreshments on the Mullins Center concourse.

Besides holding signs reading “end the siege” and “cease-fire now,” words such as “divest” were also written in chalk on the sidewalks.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.