Stanford students face felony charges after violent pro-Palestine protest
Eleven Stanford students were indicted on felony vandalism and trespassing charges for a June 2024 pro-Palestine protest.
Prosecutors say the demonstrators carried out a 'calculated plan of destruction.'
Eleven Stanford students who occupied the university president’s office in June 2024 were indicted Monday on felony vandalism and trespassing charges.
The students, part of a pro-Palestine protest, barricaded themselves inside Building 10 and left graffiti across Main Quad with messages including “kill cops” and “death to Israel,” according to The Stanford Daily.
Their arraignments are set for Oct. 6 in San Jose.
One student avoided indictment after agreeing to testify against the others. Deputy District Attorney Robert Baker said the case was presented to a grand jury “to get it to trial as soon as possible and conserve judicial resources.”
In June 2024, the protesters occupied the university president’s office as part of the demonstration, which was organized by the People’s University for Palestine.
The demonstrators broke windows and furniture, disabled security cameras, splashed fake blood inside, and barricaded doors with equipment. Outside, graffiti appeared across Stanford’s Main Quad with messages such as “Death 2 US,” “Kill Cops,” and “F*** Amerikkka.”
Officials estimated the damage at several hundred thousand dollars. The incident drew sharp criticism from the DA, who called it a “calculated plan of destruction.”
Pro-Palestine students have continued to justify the protest. “Students acted to break through indifference, to force attention on an injustice that holding signs outside an office could never achieve,” said Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine member Amanda Campos.
Campus Reform has reported on incidents of anti-Israel rhetoric and protests at Stanford University.
Last October, pro-Palestine activists staged a rally at Stanford to oppose disciplinary actions against the students who occupied the president’s office. Held on Oct. 28, the protest challenged the arrests tied to that occupation.
Demonstrators staged a mock “tribunal” that declared the administration “guilty” of genocide, with speakers condemning U.S. and Stanford support for Israel.
Overall, anti-Semitism rates on college campuses nationwide remain high. A July Hillel International study reported 2,334 anti-Semitic incidents on U.S. campuses in 2024–2025, the highest ever recorded. That marks a sharp rise from 1,853 the prior year and under 300 annually before 2023.
Additionally, last month, a survey by the Anti-Defamation League and the World Union of Jewish Students found widespread anti-Semitism on campuses.
The report found that 78% of Jewish students conceal their religion, 81% hide their Zionist identity, and nearly 20% know peers who were physically attacked.
Campus Reform has contacted Stanford University and its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
