Pro-Palestinian Protest Results in Over Two Dozen Arrests at University of Washington

More than 24 pro-Palestinian protesters were taken into custody on Monday after occupying a University of Washington engineering building. Their demonstration called for the institution to sever its connections with Boeing due to the aerospace company’s military contracts and involvement in supplying weapons used in the Gaza conflict. This occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building commenced shortly before its 5 p.m. closing time, as stated by university spokesperson Victor Balta. According to the university’s website, Boeing had contributed $10 million in funding for the facility. “Several largely masked individuals blocked two street accesses outside the building, obstructed entrances and exits, and set fires in two dumpsters nearby,” Balta reported to CNN. Approximately 30 individuals inside were arrested, facing charges of trespassing, property destruction, disorderly conduct, and conspiracy. Students involved will also face referral to the Student Conduct Office.

Protesters urged a renaming of the building in honor of a young engineering student reportedly killed in a Gaza airstrike. A banner was displayed from the building’s second-floor window during the occupation, as reported by CNN affiliate KOMO. Law enforcement, including officers from the Washington State Patrol’s Rapid Deployment Teams, together with campus and Seattle police, entered the building, stated Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis to CNN. Local firefighters managed the fires outside, Loftis added. Around 10:30 p.m., authorities began dispersing people outside the building and started removing occupants inside shortly afterwards, according to Balta. KOMO footage showed officers escorting numerous detainees out of the premises, with lingering chants from the crowd outside. It remains uncertain if the arrested individuals were university students. Earlier statements from the university indicated that anyone staying in the building past closure would be deemed trespassers and made liable to legal and student conduct repercussions.

The organization known as Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER) UW, advocating Palestinian rights, seemingly orchestrated the protest based on their social media presence. Posts suggested “UW students are occupying the Boeing-funded Engineering Building on campus to contest the university’s allegiance with Boeing.” CNN sought comments from campus and Seattle police, fire departments, the Washington State Patrol, and Boeing. The group’s rally post advised participants to “mask and cover distinct features,” while directing followers to the group’s online manifesto. This document not only demands the university disassociate from Boeing but also aligns the group’s efforts with the broader student movement supporting Palestinian rights. However, the manifesto was criticized by university officials for using rhetoric mirroring Hamas’ depiction of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which the group appeared to glorify. SUPER UW, labeled as a “suspended student group,” faced criticism from Balta, who condemned their representation of the occupation as “antisemitic.” “The University will not bow to such offensive and harmful actions and remains committed to combating antisemitism in all forms,” Balta declared. In February, the group led a march objecting to Boeing’s sponsorship of the engineering building, attracting roughly 150 participants, as per The Daily, the University of Washington’s student newspaper. The university was one of many across the US that experienced persistent campus protests a year earlier, with a pro-Palestinian campsite present for several weeks. Last May, the university president called for its dismantling following the discovery of antisemitic and violent graffiti on various campus structures.