Over two dozen protesters arrested at University of Washington
On Monday night, pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at the University of Washington (UW) after occupying an Interdisciplinary Engineering building (IEB) on the Seattle campus. This protest was part of an ongoing campaign against the university’s financial ties to Boeing, wich donated $10 million for the building. The group, Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER), displayed messages calling for the liberation of Palestine, referencing the death of a young Palestinian in a recent bombing. They blocked access to the IEB and set fire to dumpsters outside.Law enforcement cleared the building hours later, resulting in about 30 arrests on charges including trespassing and disorderly conduct. UW condemned the protests, asserting its commitment to a safe learning environment and disciplinary measures for involved students. SUPER, which lost its official student organization status last year due to previous protests, criticized the university’s financial practices and called for a repurposing of the building.
Over two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters arrested on University of Washington campus
The University of Washington had one of its buildings on its Seattle campus overrun with protesters Monday night.
This comes a year after students built encampments on the campus in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. While those encampments have long been cleared out, the protesters’ latest campaign targeted the university’s endowment from the aerospace company Boeing. The campaign began in February and is centered on the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which benefited from Boeing’s $10 million donation.
Protesters with Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, or SUPER, projected “Free Palestine” and “Shaban Al-Dalou Building” on the outside of the IEB, along with banners on the windows. Al Dalou was a 19-year-old Palestinian who died in the Al Aqsa Hospital bombing in Gaza. UW Police entered the IEB at 11 p.m., six hours after the building had closed, to clear out the protesters.
“As law enforcement from several agencies assembled to respond, individuals who mostly covered their faces blocked access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building and ignited fires in two dumpsters on a street outside,” a statement from UW read. “About 30 individuals who occupied the building were arrested and charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, will be referred to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.”
SUPER UW responded by recording police officers engaging with protesters in pictures and videos with the caption “Shame on UW.” The group also called on the university to “repurpose” the building.
“We are taking this building amidst the current and renewed wave of the student Intifada, following the uprising of student action for Palestine after the heroic victory of Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th, which shattered the illusion of zionist-imperialist domination and brought Palestine to the forefront for all justice-loving people of the world,” SUPER UW’s manifesto reads. “We demand that our tuition money and our research not be used to fund and fuel genocide. Time and time again, UW administration prioritizes their ability to rake in blood money over the demands of their students and workers.”
Meanwhile, UW said any student protester arrested will be referred to the Student Conduct Office to face disciplinary action. The Washington Examiner reached out to campus police for comment.
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“The UW is committed to maintaining a secure learning and research environment, and strongly condemns this illegal building occupation and the antisemitic statement that was issued by a suspended student group Monday,” UW wrote. “The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms.”
SUPER UW lost its registered student organization status last October. This came after the group organized a sit-in at the Husky Union Building.
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