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A group of students and alumni barricaded themselves inside the Stanford University president's office Wednesday morning to protest the institute's response to demands from pro-Palestinian protesters over the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to the group Stanford for Palestine, students and alumni barricaded 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. Protesters have accused Stanford University of “having multimillion-dollar investments in corporations that provide material and logistical support to the current Israeli army” in the armed conflict in Gaza.
“Stanford students have repeatedly attempted to engage with the administration through protests. Since October 2023, more than 20 protests have taken place, in which undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty have come 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 benefiting from the genocide of the Palestinians as we speak and we 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 Martínez.
“The Stanford Department of Public Safety has responded to the scene and is assessing the situation. Other campus operations have not been affected at this time,” the university said.
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