A group of students and alumni barricaded themselves inside the office of Stanford University’s president early Wednesday morning to protest the institute’s response to pro-Palestinian protesters’ demands over the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At least 12 people were detained during the protest, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the group Stanford for Palestine, the students and alumni locked themselves inside Stanford President Richard Saller’s office around 5:30 a.m.
The protesters said they refuse to leave Saller’s office until the Stanford administration and the Stanford Board of Trustees take action to address “their role in enabling and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Stanford for Palestine said the university has refused to negotiate with the pro-Palestine advocates over Gaza concerns. The protesters have accused Stanford University of “holding multi-million dollar investments in corporations that provide material and logistical support to Israel’s current military” in the Gaza armed conflict.
“Stanford students have tried, repeatedly, to engage with administration through protest. Since October 2023, over 20 rallies have taken place, with undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty coming together to demand that Stanford honors its commitment to human rights. Each time, administration has refused,” the group said in a statement. “The University is profiting off the genocide of Palestinians as we speak, and we refuse to be silenced.”
Stanford released a statement Wednesday morning in response to the protest: “A group of individuals this morning unlawfully entered Building 10, which houses the offices of the president and provost. The Stanford Department of Public Safety has responded to the scene and is assessing the situation. Other campus operations have not been affected at this time.”
Source: NBC Bay Area