- Web Desk
- 35 Minutes ago
Mistrial declared in case against Stanford students over 2024 pro-Palestinian protest
WASHINGTON: A judge has declared a mistrial in the case of five current and former students of Stanford University who were charged in connection with a 2024 pro-Palestinian protest in which demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the university president’s office.
The decision was issued on Friday after jurors in Santa Clara County Superior Court were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The five defendants had been facing felony counts of vandalism and conspiracy to trespass.
According to prosecutors, 12 protesters were originally charged last year with felony vandalism. Authorities alleged that at least one individual entered the building by breaking a window. Police arrested 13 people on June 5, 2024, following the incident, and the university later said the building sustained extensive damage.
The trial proceeded against five defendants after others resolved their cases through plea agreements or diversion programmes.
During deliberations, the jury remained divided. Jurors voted nine to three in favour of convicting on the vandalism charge and eight to four in favour of convicting on the conspiracy to trespass charge, but failed to reach the unanimous decision required for a verdict.
The case was among the most serious prosecutions arising from the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that swept US college campuses in 2024. Protesters called for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza, urged Washington to halt support for its ally, and demanded that universities divest from companies linked to Israel.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement that the case centred on the destruction of property that allegedly resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. He indicated that his office would seek a retrial.
Defence lawyer Anthony Brass, who represents one of the students, said the case was not about condoning unlawful conduct but about issues of transparency and ethical investment. He described the outcome as a victory for free speech and argued that humanitarian activism should not be treated as a criminal matter.
During the protest, demonstrators reportedly renamed the president’s office “Dr. Adnan’s Office” in honour of Adnan Al-Bursh, a Palestinian doctor who died in an Israeli prison after months in detention.
Media tallies indicate that more than 3,000 people were arrested nationwide during the 2024 campus protest movement. In addition to criminal charges, some students across the country faced disciplinary measures including suspension, expulsion and the revocation of degrees.
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