>>> Pace university held its first in-person graduation in three years inviting not just this year's, but those who missed out over the last two years because of the pandemic. While the day is cause for celebration, some used it to silently protest the city's mayor who was also invited to speak and the mayor fired back. Erica byfield was there. >> Reporter: the bag pipe players got a warmer welcome than the mayor didn't do anything to improve his weak reception. The university's graduation, thing biggest ever expanded to arthur ash stadium to accommodate grads from 2020, 202 2021 and 2022. Yet for some this excitement of making it dampened by adams' presence presence. This is a petition to keep him out failed to the grad caps doubled as poster boards. >> I think eric adams speaking today is incredibly tone deaf. I don't think he represents pace's values. >> Reporter: adams style after accept inging an honorary degree, he addressed eded controversy. >> The words of the one of our great flossers, stopped from the bottom, now I'm here. About two dozen grads stood and turned their backs. >> Listen, I want to really give honor to those who are standing here in peaceful protest. Because I know protest. This is a picture of me as a state senator protesting on the floor of the state senate after trayvon martin was killed. >> Reporter: a crowd of thousands looking on as he said this. >> You cannot simply protest. You have to protect. >> Reporter: then he doe into the issues that sparked the controversy on campus. His stands on police, gun violence and the homeless. >> We have to speak out against it. I'm not going to sit here and sit all pretty and act like things he is doing to the new york city community aren't happening right now. They are happening. They are real. He's affecting real people. We are some of those real people that his policies affect. >> Reporter: adams undeterred challenging them to fight for their believes like he has closing his remarks this way. >> As long as you fight for what you think is right, this country will become the country we want it to be. And in the process, there's going to be a lot of people who will hate you. All I can say, have your haters become your waiters when you sit down at the table of success. Thank you. >> Reporter: erica byfield, news 4 new york.