Protesters stood outside Stanford's graduation ceremony to voice their anger over the six-month sentence given to Brock Turner, the ex-student who raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster.  A petition created after the sentence has garnered thousands of signatures in an attempt to have trial Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the case, removed from the bench.  Read: Meet The Hero Who Stopped Stanford Rapist Brock Allen Turner  At the Stanford ceremony on Sunday, activists marched in protest while a banner flew above the crowds reading, "Protect survivors. Not Rapists. PerskyMustGo."  Keynote speaker and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns addressed the sexual assault incident during his commencement speech.  "Look, I am the father of four daughters. If someone tells you they've been sexually assaulted, take it effing seriously, and listen to them," he said.  Burns also mentioned the emotional testimony the victim penned to the judge recalling the incidents of the assault.  "Maybe someday we will make the survivor's eloquent statement as important as Dr. King's letter from a Birmingham jail," he said.  Multiple students joined the march after they received their diplomas, including graduating senior Jonathan Fisk.  Read: Brock Turner Banned From Swimming for Life as It Emerges He'll Only Serve 3 Months For Rape  "We also want to draw light to non-consent culture, not just rape culture, but non-consent culture, and how that intersects with different privileges such as race, class, and ability especially, which we've seen in this case," he said.  The sexual assault on Stanford's campus has sparked a national debate and opened a dialogue about how sexual assault cases on college campuses are handled in the courts.  Turner will reportedly only serve three months in jail and is set to be released September 2. He will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  USA Swimming has placed a life-long ban on Turner, prohibiting him in participating in any sanctioned events, including those that would qualify him for the U.S. Olympic team.  Vice President Joe Biden has also weighed in with his own letter in response to the victim's testimony.  "I am in awe of your courage for speaking out," he told her, "for so clearly naming the wrongs that were done to you and so passionately asserting your equal claim to human dignity."  RELATED: Reactions to Brock Turner's sentencing on social media  Stanford students protest rape culture during graduation: 'Take it effing seriously'  The images the media select matter. This man was found guilty and sentenced to jail, but still #NoMugShot. https://t.co/AjWAmAW8ap  This is how a convicted rapist was portrayed by @washingtonpost. Include his swimming creds, avoid the word "rape" https://t.co/sJj11s0hFE  For contrast, here's @washingtonpost coverage of other rapes. All three headlines use the word, use mugshots. https://t.co/AqBy8wgsNH  Prison would have "severe impact" on rapist Brock Turner. Wonder if non-white crim would get this pretty headshot https://t.co/bEZS16wQdP  My latest. Rapist Brock Turner & Judge Aaron Persky represent so much of what is wrong with our justice system. https://t.co/duPdasZCSU  That Brock Turner was arrested AND convicted of felony rape and we still don't have his mugshot yet? Just his Abercrombie & Fitch photos?  More from AOL.com: Orlando shooter was a regular at the gay nightclub he attacked Court documents reveal new details in Stanford rape Joe Biden to survivor of rape at Stanford: 'Your words are forever seared on my soul'
Stanford students used the ceremony to express anger towards the 6-month sentence given to former student Brock Turner, convicted of raping another student.