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A group of students and alumni barricaded themselves inside the Stanford University president's office Wednesday morning to protest the school's response to demands from pro-Palestinian demonstrators over the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to the Stanford for Palestine group, students and alumni locked themselves in the office of Stanford President Richard Saller at around 5:30 a.m.
The protesters said they refuse to leave Saller’s office until the Stanford administration and Stanford Board of Trustees take steps to address “his 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. Protesters have accused Stanford University of “having multimillion-dollar investments in corporations that provide material and logistical support to Israel’s current military” in the Gaza armed conflict.
“Stanford students have repeatedly attempted to engage with the administration through protests. Since October 2023, more than 20 demonstrations have taken place, with undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty joining together to demand that Stanford live up to its commitment to human rights. Each time, the administration has refused,” the group said in a statement.
“The University is profiting from the genocide of Palestinians as we speak out and refuse to be silenced,” they added.
In a statement, the university said protesters “illegally” entered Building 10, which houses the offices of Saller and Chancellor Jenny Martinez.
“Stanford Public Safety has responded to the scene and is assessing the situation. Other campus operations are not affected at this time,” the university said.
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