Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who occupied Stanford building are charged with felonies

A twelve pro-Palestinian demonstrators who were arrested astatine Stanford University past twelvemonth aft they occupied and allegedly caused hundreds of thousands of dollars successful harm to a field building are now facing charges.

The 12 people, existent and erstwhile Stanford students, person been charged pinch felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass, nan Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday successful a news release.

Those charged scope successful property from 19 to 32, nan DA’s agency said. They will beryllium arraigned later this period astatine nan Hall of Justice successful San Jose.

A student journalist, who was arrested pinch nan protesters but was not accused of participating successful nan vandalism, was not charged.

The Stanford takeover began astir dawn connected June 5, 2024, nan past time of outpouring classes astatine nan assemblage successful California’s Silicon Valley.

Some protesters barricaded themselves wrong nan building, which houses nan assemblage president’s office. Others linked arms outside, The Stanford Daily reported astatine nan time.

The group chanted “Palestine will beryllium free, we will free Palestine.”

The takeover ended 3 hours later.

Prosecutors impeach nan demonstrators of spray-painting connected nan building, breaking windows and furniture, disabling information cameras and splattering a reddish liquid described arsenic clone humor connected items passim nan building.

Damages were estimated successful nan hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors.

Cellphones belonging to those arrested showed communications astir nan readying of nan operation, including a “do-it-yourself business guide,” prosecutors said.

The AP recorded astatine slightest 86 incidents past outpouring successful which arrests were made astatine assemblage aliases assemblage field protests against nan warfare successful Gaza across nan US.