Students walk out of Google CEO's speech at Stanford commencement over Israel cloud contract

Lead

More than 100 Stanford University graduates walked out during Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement address on June 14, 2026, chanting "Free Palestine" and carrying Palestinian flags in protest over Project Nimbus, Google's cloud contract with the Israeli government. The interruption turned the ceremony into a demonstration against the tech giant's work with Israel, as reported by Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Jerusalem Post, and The Hindu.

Coverage comparison

Reports varied on the number of protesters. Al Jazeera and The Hindu put the figure at over 100 students, while a widely cited report from SFGate, mentioned by The Hindu, said about 200 students walked out. The Jerusalem Post described "scores" of graduates standing, booing, and walking out. The Hindu noted that more than 20,000 people, including 3,600 students, attended Stanford's 135th Commencement ceremony, according to the Stanford Report.

While Al Jazeera focused on the protest action itself, the BBC's coverage centered on student concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on their future prospects. The BBC reported that some graduates expressed fear and skepticism about AI, while others, like computer science major Ifdita Hasan, were optimistic, seeing AI as a tool to learn more about the universe. The BBC also noted that some students carried signs reading "ICE spies with Google AI" and waved Palestinian flags.

The Jerusalem Post provided context on Project Nimbus, describing it as a $1.2 billion cloud-computing contract involving Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government, which has drawn criticism from students, activists, and tech workers opposed to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Key claims

• Over 100 students walked out during Pichai's speech, with some reports indicating about 200 protesters, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu (citing SFGate).
• The protest was over Project Nimbus, a contract between Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government, as reported by Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Jerusalem Post, and The Hindu.
• Project Nimbus is worth over $1 billion, with the Jerusalem Post and The Hindu specifying $1.2 billion, and delivers cloud services to Israeli government entities, according to The Hindu.
• The project has been linked to violence against Palestinian civilians, as reported by The Hindu.
• An investigation by Israeli media outlets +972 Magazine and Local Call, cited by The Hindu, found that Israel's army stored information on servers managed by AWS, which could be used to help plan airstrikes.
• The protest was organized in part by groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid, as mentioned by The Hindu.

Perspectives

Student Protesters

Students who walked out voiced support for Palestine and condemned Google's ties to the Israeli government, particularly the Project Nimbus contract. They chanted "Free, free Palestine!" and carried signs reading "ICE spies with Google AI," as reported by Al Jazeera, the BBC, and The Hindu.

Sundar Pichai and Stanford Administration

Pichai appeared unfazed and largely avoided the AI debate in his speech, instead offering a message about optimism and hard choices, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Stanford President Jonathan Levin introduced Pichai, praising his "thoughtfulness, humility and determination in leadership."

Vinod Khosla

Indian-American venture capitalist Vinod Khosla criticized the students for walking out, as reported by The Hindu.