“Aren’t afraid to make their voices heard”: David Zaslav's speech at Boston University sparks student outcry, netizens react

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president took the stage at the graduation ceremony for Boston University to deliver his commencement address to the students. However, as Zaslav delivered his speech, he was met with boos from a section of students. The protesting Boston University students were chanting, "Pay your Writers."

A clip of when Zaslav started getting booed by many in the crowd has been making rounds online. The 30-second clip, which has also been tweeted by Mike Scollins, a writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, features the Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive struggling to continue with his speech at BU as protestors raise slogans.

Here's what David Zaslav was saying when he got booed by the Boston University students:

"If you want to be successful, you are going to have to figure out how to get along with everyone and that includes difficult people [protestors chanting 'Pay your Writers']. Some people ... [chants get louder] ... some people will be looking for a fight."

Given that a person of Zaslav's stature was interrupted by several members in the crowd, many on the internet have shared their opinions on the incident.

Writer, speaker, and activist Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020), who was also the youngest delegate for Joe Biden in 2020, has also tweeted the video while hailing the students by noting that,

"The youth know what’s up & they aren’t afraid to make their voices heard."

---

"Love to see it" - Twitter users react to David Zaslav's speech being interrupted at Boston University amid the WGA strike

The chants raised at Boston University, during the speech of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav, were in response to the ongoing WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike. Thus, understandably, most Twitter users have reacted with overwhelmingly positive replies to the protesting slogans from the Boston University students.

A film writer, Todd Spence (@Todd_Spence), shared Zaslav's clip and wrote,

"David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, hit with a massive "Pay your writers!" chant from Boston University students during his commencement speech. Love to see it. #WGAstrong"

Many voiced a similar opinion as they tweeted in favor of the writers' ongoing strike post a dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Readers can check out the reactions to WGA picketing the Boston University commencement:

---

The protest against David Zaslav was pre-planned

A picture from the protest site at BU against Warner Bros. Discovery (Image via Twitter / @DanielleEBowers)

For those unaware, on May 11, WGA shared its plans to picket the 2023 graduation ceremony at BU after the university confirmed that David Zaslav would be the commencement speaker. Thus, apart from the massive support showcased by BU students, a plane carrying the message "Pay your Writers" was also seen flying on Sunday.

David Zaslav was also awarded an honorary degree at BU, apart from delivering the university's 150th commencement address. However, the chants from the protestors seemingly spoiled Zaslav's speech. Interestingly, it is not the first picketing done by WGA, as the organization has continued to showcase its protest at different locations across the USA.

The WGA's strike began on May 2, 2023, at 12:01 am (PDT) and has turned out to be the largest interruption to television and film productions in the US since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Moreover, it is also WGA's largest labor stoppage since the strike that happened in 2007-08.

Readers can learn more about the WGA strike through one of Sportskeeda's previous stories on the protest.