More than 100 students staged a walkout during Stanford University’s graduation ceremony shortly after Google CEO Sundar Pichai began delivering his commencement speech, media reports said Sunday, Anadolu reported.

Videos shared on social media showed graduates leaving their seats at Stanford Stadium while chanting “Free, free Palestine.” The protest took place moments after Pichai, who was invited to deliver the keynote address, took the stage at the ceremony.

According to the New York Post, the protest was organized by groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid.

The report said the protest drew attention to ongoing activism related to the war in Gaza and criticism of major technology companies’ ties to government projects and military.

The paper also reported criticism of the “Students for Justice in Palestine” over previous statements and social media posts related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The departure was revealed in front of graduates, faculty members and guests attending the commencement ceremony.

Neither Stanford University nor Google have commented on the reports. The graduation ceremony continued after the protest as Pichai continued with his speech to the graduating class.

Source: prizrenpost