Hundreds of students walk out of graduation during Google CEO's speech
Hundreds of students have walked out of Stanford University's commencement ceremony during a speech by Google CEO Sundar Pichai in protest and to express support for Palestine.
During the graduation ceremony, over 100 to about 200 students stood up and left the hall as soon as Pichai began his speech.
They chanted "Freedom for Palestine," carried Palestinian flags, and some were seen whistling and protesting with banners.
The protest was organized by student groups supporting Palestine, who had previously announced the action as a form of opposition to Google's ties to the Israeli government, including major technology contracts and cloud computing.
Despite the protest and the departure of some graduates, the ceremony continued normally and Pichai delivered his speech to those who remained in the hall.
Students involved in the protest stated that their goal was to draw attention to the role of large technology corporations in international conflicts and to their ethical responsibility in agreements with various governments.
The event became one of the most controversial moments of this year's Stanford graduation ceremony. /Telegraph/