Students Walk Out During Sundar Pichai’s Stanford Speech
The university's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), along with other protest groups, had announced the demonstration last month, citing Google's connections to Israel as the reason for the action
California: Anti-Zionist student protesters staged a walkout during Stanford University's commencement ceremony on Sunday while Google CEO and Stanford alumnus Sundar Pichai was delivering the keynote address, according to a report by The Times of Israel.
The university's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), along with other protest groups, had announced the demonstration last month, citing Google's connections to Israel as the reason for the action.
"We don't need another tech billionaire to tell us how to get rich off of the killing and surveillance of Palestinians," Stanford SJP said, according to The Times of Israel.
"Take a stance against war profiteering. Tell the Google CEO that he is not welcome," the group added.
Videos from the event showed dozens of students leaving the commencement ceremony while carrying Palestinian flags and chanting, "Free Palestine."
Pichai, who earned his master's degree from Stanford in 1995 and currently serves as CEO of Google and Alphabet, addressed the Class of 2026 during Stanford's 135th Commencement ceremony.
In his speech, Pichai reflected on pivotal moments that shape a person's life and career.
"If you are able to filter the signal through the noise, you can nudge your life in these moments into having the impact you want," he said.
Sharing personal experiences and advice with graduates, Pichai encouraged students to remain optimistic despite global challenges.
"Choose optimism. This might not ring true to you at this moment. The world is going through a lot—global conflicts, economic anxiety, a rewiring of technology, information overload, all at a fast pace. We don't get to choose the world we graduate into, but we do get to choose how we frame our circumstances," he told the students.
Pichai also urged graduates to pursue difficult challenges and focus on work that excites them.
More than 20,000 people, including approximately 3,600 students, attended the ceremony at Stanford Stadium, celebrating one of the university's largest graduating classes.
The Times of Israel noted that commencement ceremonies at several American universities have become venues for anti-Israel protests since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
