Why Stanford students booed Sundar Pichai and walked out
What's the story
The 2026 commencement ceremony at Stanford University was marred by protests against Google CEO Sundar Pichai. As he took the stage, around 200 graduating students staged a walkout, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. The protest was organized by groups like Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid. The protesters were specifically targeting Google's contracts with the Israeli government, including Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud-computing and AI contract signed in 2021.
Speech details
Pichai addresses graduates amid protests
Despite the walkout, Pichai continued with his speech at Stanford Stadium. He chose not to mention artificial intelligence (AI) in his address, a topic that has been controversial amid tech layoffs and economic uncertainty. Instead, he urged graduates to "choose optimism, work on hard things, and do what excites you." This decision came after other tech leaders had faced backlash for pro-AI rhetoric during similar events.
Twitter Post
Take a look at protests at Stanford
Stanford grads walk out as Google CEO Sundar Pichai takes the stage as commencement speaker. No mention of AI, unlike other uni speakers getting booed down this year. Story for @sfgate shortly pic.twitter.com/qvS2rJ91Ip
— Matt Brown (@maattttbrown) June 14, 2026
Activist criticism
Pro-Palestinian activists have slammed Google's contracts with IDF, ICE
Pro-Palestinian activists have slammed Google's contracts with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They allege that these agreements support Israel's military operations. After the ceremony, many students attended a separate event called the "People's Commencement," where Algerian-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was the keynote speaker. Khalil had been detained by US immigration authorities for over 100 days due to his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University in 2024.