Stanford declines to discuss Israeli divestment as hunger strike protestors vow to grow numbers
Stanford University officers on Monday rejected a request from pupil activists to discuss divesting from companies with ties to Israel At least students and three faculty members began a hunger strike this week to pressure the university to sever financial ties with companies they say are linked to the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza The university does not intend to negotiate in response to your demands Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen wrote in a letter to Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine which the group posted publicly Tuesday Despite the university s response the group explained the hunger strike would continue and is expected to grow A spokesperson stated organizers anticipate a large influx of new participants and assistants allowing for waves of strikers to join in subsequent weeks The length of each participant s fast will depend on their individual physical condition and anatomical guidance the group explained Related Articles Campus protests flare on a smaller scale than last spring but with higher stakes Stanford students launch hunger strike demand divestment over Gaza war Trump ditches original pick taps wellness influencer Casey Means for surgeon general Stanford Live releases - season lineup with -plus shows How Stanford grad helped orchestrate Prince Harry s off-the-rails interview The hunger strike also calls for local executives to drop felony charges against attendee protesters for Stanford to repeal not long ago enacted campus speech regulations and for university President Jonathan Levin to sign a national academic freedom message They are aware that their students are putting their robustness at stake because of Stanford s insistence on investing in genocide and repressing students for dissenting the activists disclosed in a report In declining to negotiate Stanford spokesperson Luisa Rapport pointed to an October decision by the Board of Trustees Special Committee on Outlay Responsibility which had reviewed a proposal to divest from companies linked to the Israel Defense Forces Just as the university does not take positions on partisan or political issues the Trustees maintain a strong presumption against using the endowment as an instrument to advance any particular social or political agenda the board stated in a declaration at the time It the decision further provides that the Trustees may choose to take no action on a request if an issue is divisive within the campus district The hunger strike follows months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus On June individuals including a pupil journalist were arrested during a sit-in at the university s administrative offices Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen later filed felony vandalism charges against students citing property damage between and million California law defines felony vandalism as causing more than in damage Dissent is American Vandalism is criminal Speech is protected by the First Amendment Vandalism is prosecuted under the penal code Rosen declared in announcing the charges Students arrested in the June protest have also faced administrative sanctions from Stanford including two-quarter suspensions delayed graduation conferrals and region function requirements Stanford has drawn criticism from multiple sides over its handling of the protests One university subcommittee revealed widespread anti-Israel and antisemitic bias on campus Another discovered that Islamophobia and prejudice against Muslim Arab and Palestinian students were also prevalent Students from California State University campuses including San Jose State Sacramento State San Francisco State and CSU Long Beach are participating in their own hunger strikes While Stanford has not yet shifted its resources strategy divestment campaigns have succeeded elsewhere The University of San Francisco earlier this month committed to divesting from defense companies tied to Israel after aspirant pressure San Francisco State University has already pulled its investments from four weapons manufacturers in August and Sacramento State became the first community California university to divest from companies that profit from genocide ethnic cleansing and exercises that violate fundamental human rights in May Though the Stanford administration has declined to meet protesters demands the group stated it will continue to apply pressure launching a letter-writing campaign and planning additional actions Stanford doesn t even want to listen to its students and faculty who are now resorting to the last tactic realizable in hopes that Stanford definitively takes any action the group explained We have decided to continue our hunger strike until Stanford negotiates and takes action on our demands
