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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Twelve individuals, including both current and former students of Stanford University, are now facing legal charges in connection with a campus protest last year. The group was accused of causing significant damage, estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, during a demonstration that involved occupying a university building.
According to a news release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, those charged are facing serious allegations that include felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass. Their ages range from 19 to 32, and they are scheduled to appear for arraignment later this month at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Among those detained was a student journalist who was present during the protest; however, this journalist has not been accused of any involvement in the vandalism activities.
The protest commenced early on June 5, 2024, coinciding with the final day of spring semester classes. During the demonstration, certain protesters barricaded themselves inside a building that contains the office of the university president, while others assembled outside, linking arms and voicing chants such as “Palestine will be free, we will free Palestine,” as reported by The Stanford Daily.
The incident concluded three hours later, leaving behind a scene of extensive damage. Prosecutors allege that the demonstrators engaged in various acts of vandalism, such as spray-painting walls, smashing windows and furniture, disabling security cameras, and defacing property with a red liquid purportedly resembling blood. The damages incurred during the protest have been reported as substantial.
Further evidence presented by prosecutors includes communications retrieved from the cellphones of those arrested. These correspondences reportedly contained discussions and plans related to the protest, including a “do-it-yourself occupation guide.”
This incident is part of a broader trend seen across college campuses in the U.S., with reports of at least 86 protests and arrests linked to demonstrations regarding the ongoing war in Gaza during the previous spring.
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