Charges against Stanford pro-Palestinian protesters to be dismissed after mistrial

Charges against five current and former Stanford University students involved in a June 2024 pro-Palestinian protest will be dismissed. The California Attorney General's office agreed to dismiss the charges if the defendants complete 100 hours of community service each and pay a combined $52,000 in restitution to the university. This development follows a mistrial in February when jurors could not reach a verdict in the case, which initially involved 12 protesters charged with felony vandalism after they barricaded themselves inside the university president's office, causing "extensive" damage. Seven other protesters had previously accepted plea deals or diversion programs. The protest was part of a broader 2024 movement on US college campuses demanding an end to Israeli actions in Gaza and university divestment from companies supporting Israel.