Harvard graduate speaks on unity as men fight behind her in viral video

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 2, 2025 11:27 IST

A Harvard graduate was delivering a message on compassion and unity when the moment became rather chaotic - not because of her words but two men who began fighting just behind her during her interview.

In a striking twist of irony, Yurong “Luanna” Jiang was speaking about empathy during her interview with The Associated Press when the scuffle broke out in the background.

A video of the moment has now gone viral on social media, with several users saying, “You cannot make satirical sitcoms in the US these days because real life can look like this.”

Filmed in what appeared to be an open-air restaurant, the video showed two men shoving each other. One was knocked to the ground before both men got up and walked away.

“The message itself, if I have to put it into one sentence, will be humanity rises and falls as one. We are living in a very difficult time. There’s a lot of divisions in terms of ideas, ethnicities, identities. This is a time where we can use a little bit more moral imagination and imagine ourselves being connected with one another,” Jiang told The Associated Press, unaware of the brawl unfolding behind her.

Yurong “Luanna” Jiang is the first Chinese woman who has been selected as the student speaker at a Harvard graduation ceremony. Her graduation speech at Harvard University, calling for shared humanity and global unity, had gone viral.