Stanford pro-Palestine protesters charged with vandalism
The Santa Clara County District Attorney on Thursday charged 12 people with felony vandalism following a pro-Palestinian event at Stanford University last summer, where protesters stormed the president’s office and destroyed property on the Palo Alto campus.
PALO ALTO, Calif. – The Santa Clara County District Attorney on Thursday charged 12 people with felony vandalism following a pro-Palestinian event at Stanford University last summer, where protesters stormed the president’s office and destroyed property on the Palo Alto campus.
Eight of the people are current students and four are not. All are U.S. citizens. Those charged range in age from 19 to 32.
Last month, DA Jeff Rosen decided not to charge a Stanford Daily journalist for entering the campus that day, as he was bearing witness to the protest.
Rosen announced the charges, which also include conspiracy to trespass, at a news conference, highlighting what he called criminal behavior: Breaking windows and spraying graffiti near Building 10, which cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage” on June 5, 2024. The president’s office was closed for two months.
Efforts to reach the 12 who were charged were not immediately successful on Thursday.
KTVU reporters were there that day and witnessed some of the damage.
“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” Rosen said. “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.”
On the day in question, Stanford said anyone who was arrested would be suspended and if they were seniors, would not be able to graduate.
The protesters, upset about the number of Palestinian people being killed in Gaza, had stormed Building 10, where President Richard Saller works.
The protesters also showed photos from inside the office that showed what looked like blood, or fake blood, smeared on photos on the president’s desk. There was also what looked like red paint with the word “SHAME” smeared on a life-like cardboard cutout of Saller. There were also messages written in graffiti on campus, such as: “De@th 2 Isr@hell,” “Kill Cops,” “Pigs Taste Best Dead” and “School $$$ Is Blood $$$.”
Protesters said they renamed Building 10 “Dr. Adnan’s Office” in honor of a Palestinian General Surgeon who died in an Israeli detention facility.
If convicted, the maximum penalty is three years and eight months in prison.
Rosen said he doesn’t want to see the students sent to prison; he’d rather have them plead guilty and make restitution to Stanford.
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over the Stanford university president’s office June 5, 2024
A deputy stands guard after Pro-Palestinian protesters take over the Stanford university president’s office June 5, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over the Stanford university president’s office and smear fake blood on his cardboard cutout. June 5, 2024