A group of individuals were charged by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for breaking into a building on Stanford University’s campus and engaging in destructive behavior during an anti-Israel protest last June. Among the 12 accused individuals, whose ages ranged from 19 to 32, allegations include breaking windows and furniture, splashing fake blood, and disabling security cameras.
The damage caused is estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a news release from the prosecuting office.
Students examine graffiti near the office of the president at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
STANFORD TOUGH ON ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS
The accused individuals are facing charges of felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass. They are expected to be arraigned later this month at the Hall of Justice in San Jose and could potentially face incarceration and restitution if convicted.
Graffiti near the office of the president at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
A protest began outside Building 10 on Stanford’s campus in the early morning of June 5, 2024. Protesters vandalized the building by spray-painting and causing property damage, including breaking a window.
“Before the cameras were covered, multiple suspects were recorded carrying equipment into Building 10 and barricading doorways using ladders, furniture, and additional equipment they brought into the building,” according to the DA’s office.Â
PROTESTERS ARRESTED FOR TAKING OVER PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
Additional protesters inside the building recorded social media videos outlining their demands. Anti-Israel protests took place at various universities nationwide last year, with calls for divestment from companies doing business with Israel in response to the conflict in the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas terrorists.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Palo Alto Police Department, responded to the situation at Stanford.
Officers were able to breach the barricades around 7 a.m. and arrested 13 individuals, including current and former Stanford students, according to the DA’s office.
Students walk past graffiti near the office of the president at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
The vandalism included damage to offices, door frames, furniture, and items defaced with fake blood spatter in Building 10. Graffiti with slurs and anti-Semitic messages were also found, along with chants advocating for Palestine’s freedom.
INVESTIGATION INTO DEI ADMISSIONS POLICIES AT STANFORD
Law enforcement recovered backpacks inside the building containing tools for forcible entry and found encrypted text messages on cellphones linking to detailed operational plans among the arrested individuals.
The prosecuting office claimed that the suspects had coordinated multiple meetings in advance to plan the takeover of the building.
A campus maintenance worker carries a broken window from the office of the president at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated, “Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal. There is a bright line between making a point and committing a crime. These defendants crossed that line.”
GET THE FOX NEWS APP HERE
A guide shared among the protesters suggested that occupying a space can remove it from the capitalist landscape and vandalism may be a tool in that process. A student journalist embedded with the protesters but did not participate in the vandalism and was not charged.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
