After Pro-Palestinian Rallies Last Spring, Stanford Unveils New Rules for Campus Protests

Students pass graffiti near the office of the Stanford University president in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 5. Nic Coury/AP Photo

No overnight camping, no face coverings, and no disrupting classes: Those are three new rules student protesters face this fall at Stanford University after pro-Palestinian rallies last spring resulted in several arrests.

The university, a private institution about 35 miles south of San Francisco, sent students an email announcing the new guidelines six days before classes started at the campus, according to the school newspaper, The Stanford Daily.

The new policy stems from on-campus clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and authorities in June that resulted in 13 arrests after about a dozen demonstrators had barricaded themselves inside the office of the school’s president while issuing a series of demands.

“Stanford’s campus rules are designed to allow for the expression of the widest range of ideas and viewpoints,” said Stanford Provost Jenny Martinez in a video shared online on Spt. 13. “We want our students to have every opportunity in the exchange of ideas, and to be able to understand the time, place, and manner rules that govern activities around Stanford’s campus.”

The new rules are meant to create an atmosphere allowing “a robust and meaningful exchange of ideas where all voices are included,” Martinez said.

Under the new rules, White Plaza at the university will continue to be a place for freedom of expression and a place for events. It will also continue to be used for spontaneous protests and demonstrations by Stanford affiliates without advance permission, even if more than 100 people attend.

However, events will need to comply with the plaza’s rules that restrict noise levels, structures and equipment, camping, and blocking of pedestrians and bicycle traffic. The events must also be held between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The school is also designating certain spaces for outdoor events.

Events with more than 100 people or involving significant noise levels, a high-profile speaker, marches, or running races will need to be registered in advance.

Campus policy also now prohibits the disruption of a university function or activity—including classes—and prevents obstructing people from moving around the campus or facility. Violators are subject to disciplinary action.

No overnight camping will be allowed, and tents or other unauthorized structures will be removed, according to the university.

A pro-Palestinian sign on a barricade at the University of California–Irvine on May 2, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The new restrictions also place rules on sidewalk chalk, posters, banners, flags and other communications. Residents, however, may display political and other signs on the inside of their dorm windows or on their room doors.

The university also restricted masking on the campus, pointing to a 1968 policy that obligates people to identify themselves when asked by a university official.

California State University and the University of California also revamped protest rules after multiple campuses in both state systems were the scene of pro-Palestinian protests last year.

The nation’s largest public university system, Cal State, was the first to change its policy, placing several restrictions on public assemblies on its 23 campuses.

Cal State’s new policy bans tent encampments and overnight demonstrations, which occurred during the spring protests. Installing unauthorized barricades, fencing, and furniture was also banned.

At the University of California, President Michael Drake asked campus chancellors to impose restrictions on how students could protest this fall.

As part of the state’s budget agreement with the UC system, lawmakers also directed Drake’s office to create a framework for enforcing protest rules across the system’s 10 campuses. Lawmakers are withholding $25 million from the system until Drake reports to the state Legislature by Oct. 1 about the new plans.

Nationally, other systems of higher education have restricted protests, including banning bullhorns and speakers after 5 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania, and time limits for protests at Indiana University.