A video of a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) disrupting a mathematics lecture to launch a tirade against Israel and the United States has become a viral sensation.
The student's interruption and the professor's response have left viewers astounded.
The video, shared by billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman on a social media platform, was taken during a Thursday morning math lecture at MIT. The footage reveals a student interrupting the class with a vehement anti-Israel speech, a disruption the professor surprisingly allows.
The professor, in the midst of explaining a math problem, is interrupted by the student. Rather than immediately addressing the interruption, the professor politely asks the student to wait until he has finished the problem, saying, "Can I just finish this line?"
Once the math problem is solved, the professor steps away from the blackboard, allowing the student to launch into his tirade. The student begins, "As you witness an ongoing genocide of Gaza in MIT silence I'm joining hundreds of students city-wide walking out of class. Because we stand for the liberation of Palestine against active genocide that is perpetuated by MIT, Israel, and the United States.
Following his speech, the student unfurls a Palestinian flag and leads a few classmates in chants of "Free, free Palestine!"
Ackman, in sharing the video, criticized the state of free speech at top universities and the lack of leadership at MIT. He wrote, "Imagine being a student who borrowed $250k to attend MIT or a professor who is trying to do research in this environment."
The video has garnered over 17 million views in just over a day since its publication. Online commentators have expressed disbelief at the professor's handling of the interruption.
Keith Whittington, a professor at Princeton University, argued that universities should enforce a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruptions. He stated, "Education is the core mission of the university, and campus free expression policies should be designed to secure that mission."
The incident has sparked a debate about the balance between free speech and maintaining an environment conducive to learning.
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