Dozens of graduates staged a walkout during Stanford University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, leaving just after Google CEO Sundar Pichai started his keynote speech.
Social media footage appeared to show more than 100 students rising from their seats inside Stanford Stadium as they chanted, “Free, free Palestine.” As Pichai addressed the crowd, others were heard booing and yelling, “Shame on you.”
The demonstration was organized by activist groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid. Both organizations have criticized Google over its contracts with the Israeli government, as well as agreements involving the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Pichai, who graduated from Stanford in 1995 with a master’s degree in materials science and engineering, was named earlier this year as the keynote speaker for the university’s 135th commencement ceremony, held June 14.
The disruption marks the latest development in a long-running dispute over Google’s role in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud-computing deal shared with Amazon to supply cloud and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli government.
Opponents — including some Google employees and pro-Palestinian advocates — say the technology may be used by Israeli military and security agencies in ways that could harm Palestinians. Google, however, has said the agreement is intended for government cloud services and has consistently defended the partnership.
The dispute has already roiled the company internally.
In 2024, Google fired dozens of employees after sit-ins and demonstrations at offices in California and New York protesting Project Nimbus and the company’s ties to Israel.
Sunday’s walkout also comes amid a broader wave of campus unrest and skepticism toward Big Tech at graduation ceremonies this year.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed during a commencement address at the University of Arizona earlier this year as students voiced concerns about artificial intelligence and its effect on jobs.
Similar scenes have played out at universities across the country, with graduates increasingly using commencement ceremonies to protest speakers’ corporate ties, AI advocacy and political positions.
Despite the interruptions, Pichai continued his speech, which focused largely on optimism and adapting to change rather than artificial intelligence or geopolitics.
The Google chief acknowledged the uncertainty facing graduates but urged them to choose optimism as they enter a rapidly changing world.
