MIT class president barred from graduation after speaking out on Gaza

Megha Vemuri gave speech the day before commencement, condemning the university's ties to Israel

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after she delivered a speech during a commencement event the day before condemning the war in Gaza and criticizing the university's ties to Israel.

The student, Megha Vemuri, spoke at MIT's OneMIT commencement on Thursday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wearing a keffiyeh over her graduation gown, she praised student protests against the war in Gaza and condemned MIT's ties to Israel.