STANFORD — A group of pro-Palestine Stanford University students barricaded themselves inside the office of the university’s president Wednesday in protest of what they said is the university’s refusal to negotiate with the People’s University for Palestine encampment.
In a statement, the group said they entered the office of university President Richard Saller about 6 a.m. and said they would not leave until Stanford’s administration and its Board of Trustees “meet our demands and take actions to address their role in enabling and profiting from ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
The protesters said if the demands were not met, they would have to be removed forcibly.
Members of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office were at the university. Sheriff’s office spokesperson Brooks Jarosz said they helped the Stanford Department of Public Safety to detain about 12 people by 8 a.m.
The group said that students have tried repeatedly to engage the administration. More than 20 rallies have been held since October and have included undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and faculty. They said they university has failed to meet any of their demands.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.