### MIT Class President Barred from Graduation Following Gaza War Speech

In a startling turn of events, the 2025 MIT class president was prevented from participating in her own graduation ceremony after she delivered a provocative speech condemning the war in Gaza. Megha Vemuri, the class president, told CNN that she was informed by senior university officials that she would be banned from attending the Friday ceremony and barred from campus until its conclusion.

Despite being barred from the ceremony, Vemuri was assured she would still receive her degree, an MIT spokesperson confirmed. Vemuri expressed her readiness to face these consequences in support of the Palestinian cause, stating, "What I am dealing with right now is absolutely nothing compared to the people of Palestine, and I'd take on much more if it meant helping their cause."

During Thursday's OneMIT Commencement event in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vemuri, donned in her graduation robe with a keffiyeh draped over it, applauded her classmates for their protests against the war in Gaza and criticized MIT's association with Israel. This act has intensified the ongoing tensions around university protests concerning the conflict.

The controversy follows similar events at other prestigious institutions. Just recently, New York University announced that it would withhold a student's diploma after they condemned the situation in Gaza during their graduation speech. Alongside several universities like Harvard and Columbia, MIT witnessed its students setting up protest encampments last spring to voice their disapproval of the Gaza conflict, facing potential disciplinary actions in the process.

Addressing her peers, family, university staff, and even Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Vemuri urged her fellow graduates to continue their efforts. "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," she declared.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth followed Vemuri’s speech, seeking to restore order, and emphasized the institution's value of freedom of expression while also stressing that the event was meant to celebrate the graduates. According to an MIT spokesperson, Vemuri deviated from the pre-approved speech, misleading the organizers and turning her time at the podium into a stage for protest, which led to the university's reaction.

Vemuri received communication from Chancellor Melissa Nobles informing her that her ceremony tickets were deactivated and she was not allowed to attend. Vemuri has remained resilient, feeling no disappointment in not participating in a ceremony from an institution she believes is complicit in the conflict, yet criticized what she considers unjust punishment without merit or clear policy violation, calling MIT’s response hypocritical.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has publicly condemned MIT’s decision. CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud stated that the university should honor academic freedom and support student voices against genocide and for Palestinian rights, rather than penalizing them.

Vemuri’s speech and subsequent ban have garnered nationwide attention, inciting both support and criticism. As she navigates this media spotlight, Vemuri remains focused on spreading her message, undeterred by the contentious reactions it has provoked.