MIT barred Class of 2025 president Megha M. Vemuri from participating in the graduation ceremony after she delivered a speech in support of Palestine and criticized the institute’s ties with "Israel" and its complicity in the war on Gaza.

Vemuri emailed MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles, contesting the characterization of her remarks as a "protest from the stage," labeling the university's actions as an overreach.

Students chanted in support of Vemuri during the ceremony, and while MIT stated it supports free expression, it defended its decision, citing disruption of the event. Vemuri, in her speech, praised students for standing up for a free Palestine.

“You have faced the obstacle of fear before and you turned it into fuel to stand up for what is right,” she expressed, adding, "You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine."

Silent 'freedom of expression'?

Vemuri was received with cries from the audience, with some students jumping out of their seats to support her statements and others shaking their heads, as if they were opposed to her speech.

Following Vemuri's address, President Sally Kornbluth stated that MIT appreciates "freedom of expression" but that today is "about the graduates."

“There is a time and a place to express yourselves and you will have many many years to do it. Let’s talk today about our graduates,” she said.

Vemuri went on to say that last spring, the undergraduate and graduate unions agreed to terminate relations with "the genocidal Israeli military" and call for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

“You faced threats, intimidation, and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials, but you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide,” she expressed. 

'No universities left in Gaza'

Last year, MIT saw the establishment of a pro-Palestine student encampment, which was eventually dismantled after the university threatened suspension and police cleared the site. In her Thursday speech, Vemuri criticized MIT's alleged ties to the occupation and noted that there are "no universities left in Gaza."

She continued, "It’s a shame that MIT is a part of it. The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with."

MIT’s class president, Megha Vemuri, spent her graduation speech bashing Israel.

Then President Sally Kornbluth spoke immediately after and oh boy was that awkward. pic.twitter.com/PjsBNEQxmy

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 29, 2025

“This means that Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school,” Vemuri emphasized.

Vemuri urged graduates to recognize their responsibility as they leave MIT, stating they carry the institution’s name, which she accused of being complicit in the "ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people." She emphasized the moral duty to act against it.

"And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," she expressed, emphasizing the "immeasurable responsibility" that graduates will carry.