Israel-Palestine conflict: Stanford students arrested in pro-Palestine protest, US university president’s office occupied
More than a dozen people were arrested at Stanford University in California on Wednesday after pro-Palestinian student protesters barricaded themselves inside the school’s president’s office, the latest clash between US students and authorities over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
According to the student newspaper The Stanford Daily, about 10 students broke into the administrative office building at 5:30 a.m. on the last day of classes for the spring quarter, while about 50 students joined hands and surrounded the building, chanting, “Palestine will be free.”
In a post on Instagram, the group Liberate Stanford said an “autonomous group of students” occupied the office of university president Richard Saller. Among other demands, the students demanded that the school divest from companies linked to Israel’s war in Gaza.
According to the Stanford Daily, police used metal rods to break into the building about two hours after the demonstration began. The university said 13 people were arrested, one officer was injured, and there was “extensive” damage to the building.
The school said the arrested students would be suspended and no senior student would be allowed to graduate.
In a statement, Saylor and the school’s provost, Jenny Martinez, said they were “shocked and deeply saddened” by the students’ actions.
The university also removed a pro-Palestinian camp that had been on campus since April, citing public safety concerns, and a pro-Israel demonstration on Oct. 7 honoring victims of a Hamas attack.
“The situation on campus has now escalated from peaceful protests to actions that pose a threat to the safety of our community,” school leaders wrote.
The newspaper reported that a reporter for the Stanford Daily was among the arrested students.
According to Gaza health officials, hundreds of students have been arrested in recent months for demonstrating, setting up camps and in some cases occupying buildings, against Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.
The Israeli operation began after Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people and left more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.