Anti-Israel protesters face felony charges after vandalizing Stanford building last year
12 pro-Palestine activists have received felony charges for vandalizing and conspiracy to trespass after occupying a Stanford University administrative building during last year.
The announcement of the charges was made in a press release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office on April 10.
A dozen pro-Palestine activists have received felony charges for vandalizing and conspiracy to trespass after a demonstration in which they occupied a Stanford University administrative building during last year.
The announcement of the charges was made in a press release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office on April 10. The office described that, in a June 2024 protest, 12 masked individuals “broke windows and furniture, splashed fake blood, and disabled security cameras,” causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
The protesters were to be arraigned this month and could be subject to incarceration, the district attorney’s office announced.
“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated about the incident. “There is a bright line between making a point and committing a crime. These defendants crossed the line into criminality when they broke into those offices, barricaded themselves inside, and started a calculated plan of destruction.”
During the June 2024 protest, which included 11 current Stanford students, demonstrators left graffiti on the school’s quad including statements reading “Death 2 US,” “F*** Amerikkka” and “Kill Cops.”
The students were members of an anti-Israel student organization at Stanford called the People’s University for Palestine. They demanded, among other requests, that the school divest funding from companies that have financial ties to Israel.
The protesters also barricaded doors inside the administrative building using ladders and other equipment. “Suspects inside the building began recording social media videos that listed a series of demands,” the district attorney’s office described.
In a statement provided to Campus Reform, a Stanford spokesperson emphasized that the decision for the cases rests with the district attorney’s office.
“With regard to Stanford’s internal disciplinary proceedings, panels from the Office of Community Standards (OCS) found that students were responsible for violations of university policies and issued sanctions, including two-quarter suspensions followed by probation, delayed degree conferrals, and community service hours,” the spokesperson continued.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education issued a warning letter to 60 colleges, including Stanford, about the consequences they could receive if they fail to crack down on anti-Semitism on their respective campuses.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated at the time. “University leaders must do better.”
