The group is made up of former and current Stanford students. They took over the president's office last June to protest Stanford’s financial ties to Israel.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, they broke windows and furniture, splashed fake blood, and disabled security cameras — causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Eleven of the defendants were indicted last week on charges of felony vandalism. They pleaded not guilty at yesterday’s arraignment.
A 12th student, who was initially charged, pleaded “no contest” and testified for the prosecution.
A student journalist who was present during the protest is not facing charges.
Outside the courthouse, supporters chanted “Free Palestine” and waved Palestinian flags.
The defendants’ attorney called the charges “political” and “extreme.” She also criticized the DA’s decision to pursue a grand jury indictment — which she said prevented her team from being able to challenge evidence in a preliminary hearing.
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) also criticized the move. "These students exercised their rights to demand accountability from their university in the face of an ongoing genocide," said Attorney Jeffrey Wang. "The District Attorney’s choice to bypass a public preliminary hearing undermines transparency and fairness and signals an intent to punish, rather than to seek justice.”
The trial is set for November 17.
