Stanford pro-Palestinian demonstrators face crime accusations related to repurchase, vandalism

Prosecutors announced on Thursday crime accusations against 12 pro -Palestinian demonstrators – all current and former students of Stanford – who, in June, would have burst and vandalized a building from the administration of the University of Stanford, barricating themselves before being arrested the same day.

The accusations against the 12 seem to represent the most serious prosecution en masse to date in California arrested during demonstrations and camps that took a tour of campuses last spring to protest against the War of Israel in Gaza.

“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” said Santa Clara Dist County. Atty. Jeff Rosen. “There is a luminous line between making a point and committing a crime. Unfortunately, these defendants crossed the line in crime when they broke into these offices, barricaded themselves inside and started a calculated destruction plan. “

The representatives and supporters of these accused assess the accusations and had to comment soon.

The officials of the University of Stanford did not immediately comment.

At the time of taking control before dawn, the accused were aged 19 to 32 and included both students and current Stanford graduates. The prosecutors allege that they broke the windows and furniture, splashed with false blood and disabled security cameras in building 10, where the office of the president of Stanford is located.

Building occupation led to about $ 250,000 in damages. The university has spent around $ 1 million to restore the building since the June 5 incident, according to the district prosecutor’s office.

Protesters are accused of crime of vandalism and conspiracy for intrusion.

The graffiti can be seen on the wall of a building from the University of Stanford last June following a pro-Palestinian demonstration.

(Nic COURY / Associated Press)

Those who are faced with accusations are: Maya Burke, 29 years old; Zoe Edelman, 21 years old; Eliana Fuchs, 25 years old; German Gonzalez, 21 years old; Gretchen Guimarin, 23 years old; Taylor McCann, 32 years old; Cameron Pennington, 23 years old; John Richardson, 20 years old; Hunter Taylor-Black, 25; Isabella Terrazas, 23 years old; Kaiden Wang, 22; And Amy Zhai, 22 years old.

If they are convicted, they face a potential prison sentence and pay the restitution.

Climbing protests

The break -in occurred around 5:30 am and the action also consisted in painting outside the buildings. One or more participants broke a window to enter the building and let others enter. Before the cameras were covered, “several suspects were recorded by transporting equipment in building 10 and in barricade doors using scales, furniture and additional equipment they have brought in the building,” the prosecutors said in a press release. “The suspects inside the building began to record social media videos that have listed a series of requests.”

The demonstrators promised not to leave as long as the administrators respond to their requests to depart from Israel, but the police quickly descended.

The Department of Public Security at the University of Stanford, the Sheriff’s Bureau of the County of Santa Clara and the Palo Alto police department responded, pierced by the barricades and entering around 7 a.m.

The participants were released in a few hours, but were immediately suspended, and the elders were informed that they would not be authorized to obtain their diploma, according to a statement last June from the university.

In this statement, university officials condemned protest measures and said that a campus security officer was injured during the building’s occupation. There was also “a vandalism of graffiti extended on the buildings and the columns of sandstone” with “vile and hateful feelings that we condemn in the strongest terms”.

Liber Stanford, an autonomous group of students from the University of Stanford who organized the takeover of the building, accused the application of the law of “violently assault (ING) a Pacific demonstrator” while the officers were preparing to enter. He published a video on Instagram showing a member for the Santa Clara County sheriff in a helmet and tactical equipment pushing a student with a baton.

After the arrest of the students, the university closed the camp of activists to White Plaza, which the officials had made it possible to remain even if they said that he had violated academic policies on the campsite of one night, fair access instead and the use of amplified sound.

Not billed student journalist

Dilan Gohill, a first -year student, was also arrested while reporting the Stanford Daily newspaper, integrated inside the building with the demonstrators.

For months, the administration of Stanford had urged Gohill’s accusation with the others, but finally fell from this position under a deluge of groups who came to the defense of Gohill.

According to Columbia Journalism Review, university officials quickly allowed Gohill to return to campus – while students who were among the demonstrators were suspended for longer periods.

Few major national accusations

Stanford’s lawsuits represent the most serious consequences for the more than 3,200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested in 73 university campuses between April and July from last year. The count is based on an Associated Press review of files and a survey of students, universities and district prosecutors.

Some of the biggest events and arrest tolls took place in California, notably at UCLA and USC, where students demanded that universities are deployed financial links with Israel.

More than 100 demonstrators were arrested on campuses which included Columbia University in New York, the Emerson College in Boston and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In November, the call, a non -profit press organization on the left to the left, revealed that the greatest number of cases was in the limbo, most of the rest did not have prosecution for crime.

In California, a Times and Associated Press analysis reached similar conclusions, although even without proceedings, the students faced serious disciplinary consequences on the campus.

There is a period of one year during which accusations of offense can be deposited – which means that a deadline is approaching for the resolution of many cases.

Last month, a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators continued the UCLA for its treatment of demonstrations last spring, including an incident during which a vigilant attacked their campus campus in the middle of the night. The pursuit identified 20 alleged attackers who led the attack, and part of the violence was captured in video.

The Los Angeles County District Prosecutor’s office did not file any complaints against any of these accused. The prosecutors weighed accusations of assault on crime against Edan, 19, who was identified for the first time among the attackers in a CNN report in 2024 and captured on a video striking a pro-Palestinian demonstrator with a post.

While the prosecutors confirmed that they had certainly committed an “assault”, they refer to the case at the City Prosecutor’s Office because of his age, his lack of criminal history and the minimum injuries suffered by his victim. A spokesperson for the City Prosecutor’s Office said that the case was still reviewing.

Times staff WRiter James contributed to this report.