Pro-Palestine protesters take over Stanford president’s office

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Pro-Palestinian protesters took over the Stanford president’s office early Wednesday morning, drawing a large police presence in reaction.

The protesters, mostly students, surrounded building 10, where President Richard Saller works, about 5:30 a.m, they said. 

“WE HAVE TAKEN OVER PRESIDENT SALLERS (sic) OFFICE!!!” the protesters wrote on their account, liberatestanford, on Instagram. “WE WILL STAY UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET.” 

The door was busted; it wasn’t immediately clear if the protesters broke the door, or if police did.

The protesters also showed photos from inside the office, which they took, that showed what looked like blood, or fake blood, smeared on photos on the president’s desk. 

They said they renamed Building 10 “Dr. Adnan’s Office” in honor of a Palestinian General Surgeon who died in an Israeli detention facilty. 

“Over the past eight months, Israel has subjected Gaza to a severe siege and relentless bombing campaign, resulting in the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinians, nearly half of whom were children,” the group said in a news release. 

Stanford holds “multi-million dollar investments” in corporations that provide “material and logistical support to Israel’s current military campaign against Palestinian life,” including Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, and Chevron. 

“Despite eight months of genocidal violence, Stanford administration has refused to even consider divestment from these companies,” the protesters wrote. 

The protesters’ demands include divesting from these companies, disclose its finances for 2022 including the totality of its endowment holdings and drop all disciplinary charges against pro-Palestinian student activists. 

By 7 a.m., police and sheriff’s deputies were inspecting the inside of the office as well as standing outside the door, as protesters chanted loudly, carrying signs that read “David and Goliath.” 

Stanford University spokesperson Dee Mostofi said that the Stanford Department of Public Safety responded as “a group of individuals unlawfully entered Building 10,” which houses the office of the president and provost. 

College campuses have been hotbeds of pro-Palestinian protests, including UC Santa Cruz, where last week, police arrested 80 protesters for blocking university entrances for several days. 

At Stanford, protesters have been protesting and sleeping in tents on campus, as they called on the school to divest from Israel. 

In fact, the protesters said they have held 20 rallies since Oct. 7. 

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.