Megha Vemuri, the 2025 class president of MIT, was barred from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after delivering a speech criticizing the war in Gaza during a commencement event the previous day.
Following her remarks, MIT’s senior leadership informed Vemuri she would not be allowed on campus or at the ceremony until the event concluded. Despite this, she will still receive her degree, an MIT spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
Powerful Message Amid Growing Campus Tensions
At the OneMIT Commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vemuri spoke passionately about the war in Gaza, wearing a keffiyeh—a symbol of Palestinian solidarity—draped over her graduation robe.
She applauded fellow students for protesting the conflict and condemned MIT’s ties to Israel. Her speech came amid heightened tensions on campuses nationwide, where student protests and disciplinary actions have intensified around Gaza.
University Responds to Speech and Campus Reaction
MIT President Sally Kornbluth addressed the crowd following Vemuri’s speech, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the graduates during the ceremony.
An MIT spokesperson stated that Vemuri’s speech “was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance,” adding that the university supported free expression but decided to bar Vemuri because she “deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers and led a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony.”
Punishment and Pushback
The MIT Coalition for Palestine revealed that university chancellor Melissa Nobles sent an email informing Vemuri that she was prohibited from attending the graduation ceremony and that her tickets had been canceled.
Vemuri expressed disappointment but remains firm, stating she sees no reason to walk across a stage representing an institution she believes is complicit in genocide. She also criticized MIT’s handling of the situation as hypocritical and lacking due process.
Community and National Reactions
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned MIT’s decision, urging the university to uphold academic freedom and respect students speaking out against genocide.
Vemuri has drawn widespread media attention and a mix of support and criticism. She told CNN, “I can handle the attention, positive and negative, if it means spreading that message further.”
Broader Context of Campus Activism
Similar incidents have occurred at other universities, including New York University, where a student faced diploma withholding after condemning “genocide” in Gaza during their speech.
Protests across Harvard, Columbia, and elsewhere highlight the ongoing national debate over freedom of speech, campus activism, and institutional responses amid the Gaza conflict.