Sundar Pichai faces boos, walkout at Stanford graduation ceremony over Google’s Israel, ICE ties
📰 ArticleLucas Ropek
Stanford students booed and walked out on Google CEO over Project Nimbus and ICE ties.
During Stanford's 2026 graduation ceremony, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a significant protest from about 200 graduates who walked out and booed. The demonstration targeted Google's Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract with Israel, and its work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Students carried signs reading 'ICE SPIES WITH GOOGLE AI' and 'GENOCIDE RUNS ON GOOGLE', and waved Palestinian flags. The walkout was organized by Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, No Tech for Apartheid, and Tech for Liberation. This event reflects ongoing internal and external criticism of Google's defense contracts, following the 2024 firing of 28 employees who protested Project Nimbus. The protest also drew backlash from prominent figures like Vinod Khosla, who called it 'biased and idiotic'.
💡Highlights
- ├─~200 students walked out on Pichai
- ├─Protest over Project Nimbus & ICE ties
- └─Reflects AI ethical backlash among youth
🎯For
- ├─AI ethics advocates
- ├─Tech industry observers
- └─College students