Protesters Charged with Severe Felonies at Stanford

Twelve pro-Palestinian protesters have been charged by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for felony vandalism and conspiracy to trespass following a June 2024 incident at Stanford University. The group, comprising mostly current or former Stanford students aged 19 to 32, allegedly caused damages estimated between $360,000 and $1 million while barricading themselves in the university president's office and demanding divestment from companies linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Protesters masked their identities and disabled security measures during the incident. The charges are among the most severe faced by participants in recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. Stanford University is also under investigation by the Trump administration for its handling of such protests and related antisemitism concerns. One individual had charges dropped after proving their role as a journalist rather than a protester.