A group of students and alumni barricaded themselves in the office of the president of Stanford University early Wednesday morning to protest the institution’s response to the demands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators over the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to the group Stanford for Palestine, the students and alumni locked themselves in Stanford President Richard Saller’s office around 5:30 a.m.
The protesters said they refuse to leave Saller’s office until the Stanford administration and the Stanford Board of Trustees take action to address “their role in enabling and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Stanford for Palestine said the university has refused to negotiate with pro-Palestinian advocates over Gaza concerns. The protesters have accused Stanford University of having “multi-million dollar investments in companies that provide material and logistical support to the current Israeli army” in the armed conflict in Gaza.
“Stanford students have repeatedly tried to contact the administration through protests. Since October 2023, more than two dozen rallies have taken place, bringing together undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty to demand that Stanford uphold its commitment to human rights. time the government has refused,” the group said in a statement. “The university is currently profiting from the genocide of Palestinians, and we refuse to be silenced.”
Stanford officials were not immediately available for comment on Wednesday’s action.
