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Subject: Take Action: Support the Stanford 12! Drop the charges on students!

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Friend,

I took an action on Action Network called Support the Stanford 12! Drop the charges on students!.

We, students, faculty, community members, and concerned organizations, demand that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office drop the felony charges brought against twelve Stanford University students and alumni following their participation in a protest advocating for Stanford’s divestment from corporations implicated in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The harrowing realities in Gaza have compelled students to protest Israeli actions and demand that Stanford University sever financial ties with entities complicit in one of the gravest humanitarian atrocities of our time. Their activism is rooted in a commitment to human dignity and justice, reflecting a moral imperative to stand against these atrocities. The actions of these students today follow in the heroic tradition of past student movements at Stanford University, where student protests during the civil rights era and the anti-Vietnam War movement achieved significant progress—advances that even the Stanford administration now officially celebrates. Since the outbreak of the recent conflict, the humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached catastrophic proportions, resulting in the tragic loss of over 186,000 Palestinian lives (Lancet study), with women and children comprising more than half of the casualties. The extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure—including hospitals, schools, and places of worship—has exacerbated the crisis, displacing approximately 90 percent of the population and leaving thousands of children malnourished due to severe shortages of food and medical supplies. Amidst this situation of intense global concern, the decision by District Attorney Jeff Rosen to prosecute students with felony charges represents an alarming escalation that aligns disturbingly with the repressive approach initiated during the Trump administration against student activism and and free speech. The charges pursued in this instance are disproportionate and depart significantly from Stanford University's historical precedent: previous student protests, notably against the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa, resulted in internal university disciplinary measures rather than harsh criminal charges. The Stanford 12 have already been unjustly subjected to the university’s internal disciplinary processes, faced displacement from their campus community, and experienced significant disruption to their education and personal lives. Moreover, the current stance taken by Stanford University—cooperating with the District Attorney's aggressive actions—appears driven less by considerations of justice than by external political pressures aimed at appeasing the Trump administration and safeguarding federal government funding. This compromises the university’s core values and its stated commitment to free expression, intellectual autonomy, and ethical responsibility. At stake in this moment is not merely the fate and future of twelve students, but fundamental rights central to any democratic society: the right to peacefully dissent, engage in civil discourse, and advocate for moral accountability without fear. We invite all who value justice, free speech, and human dignity—students, faculty, community members, civic organizations, and the broader public—to join us by signing this letter in solidarity with the Stanford 12. We demand that DA Jeff Rosen drop all charges against these students and that Stanford divest from the all entities complicit in genocide. Your signature affirms the fundamental right to dissent and sends a clear message against the disproportionate punishment of those who courageously speak out against injustice in the world. Together, we can uphold the principles of freedom, fairness, and compassion that are essential to any democratic society.

Can you join me and take action? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/support-the-stanford-12-drop-the-charges-on-students?source=email&

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Help us support our students by sending this letter to all friends, family, and community members for them to join you in signing on for the Stanford 12!

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