Stanford students protesting Gaza war push back against no-camping policy
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Stanford University says student protesters can no longer camp out overnight in protest over the war in Gaza.
"The sit-in is here to stay, and we mean that!" said one of the rally speakers, who didn't identify herself.
Supporters of the Palestinian cause at Stanford held a rally Thursday night in White Plaza despite the University’s announcement.
Administrators say students are no longer allowed to remain in White Plaza with tents and other camping items after 8 pm. They can return at 8 a.m. each day.
"Sleeping out here every single day, whether it rains, whether it’s cold, is minute compared to what our brothers and sisters across the globe are experiencing," said the rally speaker.
Stanford says the pro-Israel Blue and White group’s tent was damaged during last week’s storms.
Then other students prevented them from re-establishing their tent by placing their own chairs in the space. The university says those actions prompted enforcement of the policy for all students.
"We intend to abide by that 100%. There are hundreds of students out here right now. I don’t think that they’re going to abide by that. We’re going to see what the administration does," said Kevin Feigelis, a Stanford PhD student.
Stanford’s policy says camping or staying outside overnight on university property is not permitted without university permission.
With no sign of students leaving White Plaza and no campus authority asking them to leave as of Thursday night, protesters say they’ll continue their fight.
"We’re going to continue to be here until our demands are met. We’re going to continue to be here until Stanford demands a ceasefire," said the rally speaker.
The university said in its statement that it's also concerned about students being safe here after the storms.
They also say students who violate the no-camping policy will be subject to disciplinary action and may also be cited for trespassing. No one was arrested.