The 12 pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested at Stanford University last year are said to have taken over them and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to campus buildings.
The 12 current and former Stanford students have been charged with felony conspiracy to commit felony vandalism and trespass, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Thursday.
According to the DA's office, there is a charged range between the ages of 19 and 32. They will be arrested later this month at the San Jose Hall of Justice.
The student journalist who was arrested along with the protesters but was not accused of participating in the vandalism was not charged.
The Stanford acquisition began around dawn on June 5, 2024, the final spring lesson at a university in Silicon Valley, California.
Some protesters have built barricades inside the building that houses the university's president's office. Others link outdoor arms, Stanford Daily It was reported at the time.
The group chanted, “Palestine is free and we will release Palestine.”
The acquisition ended three hours later.
Prosecutors accuse demonstrators of spray painting the building, breaking windows and furniture, disabling security cameras, and letting items across the building fly red liquid called fake blood.
The damage was estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors.
Mobile phones belonging to those arrested showed communications regarding the planning of the business, including a “Do-it-yourself occupation guide,” prosecutors said.
The Associated Press recorded at least 86 incidents last spring, with arrests made on university and university campuses, and protests against the war in Gaza nationwide.
