From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Charges to be dropped against pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied Stanford building
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Charges against five former and current Stanford University students will be dismissed in relation to a 2024 pro-Palestinian demonstration in which protesters barricaded themselves inside the school president’s office.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office says it will dismiss the charges if the five defendants complete 100 hours of community service each and pay about $52,000 combined in restitution to the university.
Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender Avi Singh, who represented one of the defendants, said all had “made full restitution and agreed to complete substantial community service so they can move forward with their lives,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A judge declared a mistrial in February after jurors could not reach a verdict. Twelve protesters were initially charged with felony vandalism. Seven of them previously accepted plea deals or diversion programs.
Prosecutors said at the time the charges were filed that at least one suspect entered the building by breaking a window. Police arrested 13 people on June 5, 2024, in relation to the incident and the university said the building sustained “extensive” damage.
The charges were among the most serious against participants in the 2024 pro-Palestinian protest movement on US colleges in which demonstrators demanded an end to Israeli strikes on Gaza and to Washington’s support for its ally, along with a divestment of funds by their universities from companies supporting Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.