TOI correspondent from Washington : When Sundar Pichai was studying at Stanford in the 1990s, he once skipped class to go to Las Vegas. When he returned to Stanford to deliver the commencement address on Sunday, some students skipped Sundar Pichai.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
It was a very Silicon Valley graduation ceremony: the CEO of Google, one of the most powerful companies on Earth, addressing some of the brightest young minds in America -- only to discover that some had clicked "unsubscribe."
As Pichai took the stage, an estimated 100 to 200 graduates stood up and marched out, chanting "Free, free Palestine." Some carried signs reading "ICE spies with Google AI" and others waved Palestinian flags. There were whistles, boos and cries of "Shame on you" because nothing says "Congratulations, Class of 2026" like heckling the man whose company probably processed the email invitations and streamed the protest.