Indian-American student Megha Vemuri was barred from attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) commencement ceremony on Friday after a speech in support of Palestine was delivered from the stage during an earlier event. Vemuri, who was scheduled to serve as the marshal for the graduation, was informed of the decision by MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles on the morning of the ceremony, according to a report by the Boston Globe.
“Participation in Commencement activities is a privilege,” Nobles wrote in an email to Vemuri. “You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers. 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.”
The Boston Globe reported that Vemuri and her family were not allowed on campus for most of the day. Vemuri responded to the email, stating that her speech was indeed a protest but described the response by MIT as “an overreach.”
An MIT spokesperson said in a statement that the institute stands by its decision to ban Vemuri from campus. The official also noted that the speech delivered “was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.”
The incident drew protest from other students. During the commencement ceremony on Friday, Chancellor Nobles had to pause her speech due to chants from students opposing the decision to bar Vemuri. “Excuse me, I respect that you have a message to send but this is not the time or place,” Nobles said. “Today is about our graduates and their families. Please respect them and allow me to continue.”
In her speech on Thursday, Vemuri criticized MIT’s ties with Israel, claiming the institute was “directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.” She addressed the graduating class by saying, “You have faced the obstacle of fear before and you turned it into fuel to stand up for what is right. You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,” which was met with loud applause.
“Participation in Commencement activities is a privilege,” Nobles wrote in an email to Vemuri. “You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers. 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.”
The Boston Globe reported that Vemuri and her family were not allowed on campus for most of the day. Vemuri responded to the email, stating that her speech was indeed a protest but described the response by MIT as “an overreach.”
An MIT spokesperson said in a statement that the institute stands by its decision to ban Vemuri from campus. The official also noted that the speech delivered “was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.”
The incident drew protest from other students. During the commencement ceremony on Friday, Chancellor Nobles had to pause her speech due to chants from students opposing the decision to bar Vemuri. “Excuse me, I respect that you have a message to send but this is not the time or place,” Nobles said. “Today is about our graduates and their families. Please respect them and allow me to continue.”
In her speech on Thursday, Vemuri criticized MIT’s ties with Israel, claiming the institute was “directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.” She addressed the graduating class by saying, “You have faced the obstacle of fear before and you turned it into fuel to stand up for what is right. You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,” which was met with loud applause.
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