Stanford affiliates begin indefinite hunger strike for Palestine

STANFORD, CA,. May 12, 2025 - More than ten Stanford students and faculty launched an open-ended hunger strike in White Plaza on Monday, May 12, demanding the University sever ties with Israel and defense contractors. The action began with a solidarity rally that drew 50–100 supporters and is being coordinated by Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Speakers outlined four core demands: full transparency of Stanford’s endowment and divestment from firms linked to the Israel Defense Forces; public urging by President Jonathan Levin for Santa Clara County to drop felony charges against 12 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested in June; Levin’s endorsement of an American Association of Colleges & Universities statement opposing federal interference in higher education; and repeal of the campus free-speech guidelines adopted after last year’s encampment, which restrict demonstration sites and overnight protests.

In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Lusia Rapport said Stanford “does not intend to negotiate” and has conveyed that stance directly to the strikers.

Participants frame the fast as a response to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis—91 % of residents face food insecurity after more than 70 days without Israeli-authorized aid—and as part of a broader wave of pro-Palestinian hunger strikes at California campuses. Physicians, including UCSF’s Dr. Rupa Marya, are monitoring strikers’ vital signs and providing electrolytes and vitamins. Protesters vow to continue until their demands are met.

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*https://stanforddaily.com/2025/05/15/students-and-faculty-launch-hunger-strike-for-palestine/