Princeton’s Clio 13 Win Legal Victory After Gaza Solidarity Sit-In
Charges dropped against 13 student activists who protested Israel’s war on Gaza — a landmark moment in campus-based resistance to genocide.
Amid a growing international movement opposing Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, 13 student activists at Princeton University — known as the Clio 13 — have achieved a legal victory after a year-long struggle. On June 17, all charges of “defiant trespass” were officially dropped following their 2023 sit-in at a university building as part of the Gaza solidarity encampment.
Their protest formed part of a wider wave of student-led actions across U.S. campuses demanding an end to institutional complicity in what human rights groups increasingly describe as genocide in Palestine.
Despite facing legal threats, institutional repression, and rising anti-Palestinian sentiment, the Clio 13 refused to back down. They organized campaigns, built alliances across the Princeton community, and highlighted broader concerns about university ties to militarism and apartheid.
Repression Meets Resistance
Aditi Rao, one of the Clio 13 and a PhD student, spoke with Left Voice about the group’s journey through the legal system. Rao explained that the charges were not just an attempt to silence them — but also a tactic to dissuade others from joining the Palestine solidarity movement. “The repression is part of the broader imperialist project,” they said. “But it has only strengthened our resolve.”
Their case underscores how American universities, under pressure from pro-Israel groups and political figures, have taken disciplinary and legal actions against students and faculty who criticize Israel or organize in solidarity with Palestinians. This includes surveillance, visa threats to international students, and even firings — as seen recently at CUNY, where four professors lost their jobs for their pro-Palestine activism.
Universities and the Military-Industrial Complex
In the interview, Rao also drew attention to universities’ financial and research links with the military-industrial complex, which indirectly supports Israeli operations through contracts, technology development, and partnerships. They emphasized the disproportionate impact of repression on international, Black, and Brown students — groups already vulnerable to systemic injustice.
The Clio 13’s case is a reminder that college campuses are not neutral spaces — they are battlegrounds where global struggles for justice and liberation are being contested.
A Victory That Echoes Beyond Princeton
While the charges have been dropped, the Clio 13 and their allies see the legal victory as only one step. The larger battle — ending university complicity in genocide and fighting for Palestinian liberation — continues.
Their win demonstrates that solidarity, organizing, and resistance can overcome state-backed suppression. And more importantly, it shows that student voices, even under threat, remain a powerful force in the global demand for justice in Gaza and beyond.
