Indian-American student Vemuri banned from MIT event over pro-Palestine speech

Indian-American student Megha Vemuri has been banned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from attending her graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestine speech at an event on Thursday (May 29).

Also read: Indian-origin techie Vaniya Agrawal publicly slams Gates, Nadella over AI use in Gaza

Vemuri, who is MIT’s class of 2025 president, and her family were banned by MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles from the ceremony on Friday.

“You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers,” Nobles wrote in an email to Vemuri, according to local reports.

Also read: Akash Bobba | 22-year-old Indian American among 6 engineers hired by DOGE

“While we acknowledge your right to free expression, your decision to lead a protest from the stage, disrupting an important institute ceremony, was a violation of MIT's time, place and manner rules for campus expression,” she added.

MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said, “While that individual had a scheduled role at today’s Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today’s events.”

“MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony,” Allen added.

What Vemuri said in her speech

In her speech, which was shared on Instagram by the Palestinian Youth Movement, she said, “We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.”

“The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with; this means that Israel's assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school,” Vemuri, said.

Vemuri wore a red keffiyeh, a symbol of support for Palestine, while delivering her speech.

“Last spring, MIT's undergraduate body and Graduate Student Union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military. You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus,” she added.

Support for Vemuri

While sharing Vemuri’s speech on Instagram, the Palestinian Youth Movement said they stand with her for “choosing bravery over fear”.

“Yesterday, MIT Class of 2025 President Megha Vemuri delivered a historic speech calling for a free Palestine, and opposing both Israel’s genocide of Gaza and MIT’s complicity in the genocide. Today, the MIT administration is prohibiting Vemuri from walking at her own graduation as retaliation for her courage and principled stance,” they wrote.

“We stand with Megha Vemuri and with all other commencement speakers this year who have chosen bravery over fear and moral principle over institutional recognition and prestige. Power to the students, who continue to serve as an example to us all of what moral clarity and righteousness look like in these times,” they added.