Daijiworld Media Network – Cambridge

Cambridge, Jun 2: Megha Vemuri, the 2025 class president at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was barred from attending her graduation ceremony after delivering a speech condemning the war in Gaza, sparking controversy and widespread debate on free speech on campus.

Vemuri, an Indian-American student and double major in computation and cognition and linguistics, addressed the OneMIT commencement ceremony wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity. In her speech, she praised student protests against the Gaza war and criticised MIT’s ties to Israel.

Following the speech, MIT informed Vemuri that she was prohibited from attending the undergraduate commencement and barred from campus until the event ended. Officials said her speech differed from the version she had provided in advance and accused her of deliberately misleading organisers and leading a protest from the stage.

MIT stood by its decision, stating, “MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage.” The university confirmed Vemuri will receive her degree by mail.

Vemuri expressed no disappointment about missing the ceremony, saying, “I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide.” She criticised MIT for overstepping its authority and punishing her without due process, calling the university’s stance on free speech hypocritical.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the move, urging MIT to respect academic freedom and student voices, not punish those speaking out against genocide and for Palestinian rights.

Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October and the ensuing Gaza conflict, US campuses have experienced heightened tensions, protests, and accusations of antisemitism. Several universities, including NYU, Harvard, and Columbia, have taken disciplinary actions against students protesting the war.

MIT also introduced new rules this academic year to regulate protests on campus, signaling a stricter approach toward unsanctioned demonstrations compared to previous years.

The incident highlights the growing struggle within academic institutions to balance open expression with campus order and safety amid highly charged political conflicts.