Over 200 Stanford Students Walk Out During Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s Commencement Speech Over Israel Contract.

Protesters shout ‘Free Palestine’, wave flags and banners; demonstration targets Google’s $1.2 billion Project Nimbus deal with Israeli government.

Stanford, California:- Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s commencement address at Stanford University was disrupted Sunday as about 200 students staged a walkout to protest the tech giant’s ties with the Israeli government.

 Protest Erupts as Pichai Takes Stage

Pichai, who earned a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford, returned to his alma mater to deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2026 at the university’s 135th Commencement ceremony. Over 20,000 people, including 3,600 students, attended the event at Stanford Stadium. d4c4

According to reports, as Pichai began speaking, groups of students stood up, waved Palestinian flags, blew whistles and chanted “Free Palestine” before walking out of the venue. Videos circulating on social media showed graduates in caps and gowns leaving the ceremony with banners and keffiyehs. d4c4769dbb99

 Nimbus at Center of Demonstration.

The protest was organized by groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid. Demonstrators condemned Google’s controversial $1.2 billion cloud-computing and AI contract with the Israeli government, known as Project Nimbus, signed in 2021. 

Critics argue the technology could be used for surveillance and military operations linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Stanford SJP said in a statement: “We don’t need another tech billionaire to tell us how to get rich off of the killing and surveillance of Palestinians”.

Pichai Continues Address Amid Walkout

Despite the disruption, Pichai continued his address without directly responding to the protest. He spoke about optimism, resilience, and his personal journey from Chennai to California. 

“We don't get to choose the world we graduate into, but we do get to choose how we frame our circumstances,” Pichai told graduates. He recalled his father spending a year's salary to buy him a plane ticket to the US. 

 SFGate reported that the walkouts follow other Stanford commencements over the last three years where students have demonstrated in response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. d4c4

Student signs included phrases like “ICE SPIES WITH GOOGLE AI” and “GENOCIDE RUNS ON GOOGLE,” according to a press release associated with the protest. After the ceremony, students hosted their own “people’s commencement” featuring activist Mahmoud Khalil.