Protesters advocating against Israel seize a campus building at the University of Washington, resulting in the arrest of approximately 30 individuals.
Fiery Protest at University of Washington Over Ties to Boeing
Our on-the-ground reporter, Brooke Singman, brings you the latest on the anti-Israel demonstrators demanding the University of Washington (UW) divest from Boeing.
A band of pro-Palestinian protesters seized a building at the UW in Seattle on Monday, only to be met by police in riot gear who arrested at least 30 of them, as per official reports.
These activists held onto an engineering building on campus for hours, calling on the school to cut ties with Boeing, a major aerospace and defense company with a longstanding relationship with the university.
Videos from the scene depicted several dumpsters ablaze as police moved in to reclaim control over the building, following the demonstrators' attempt to lock themselves inside. One protester outside could be heard shouting: "Abolish the police. Every cop dead is a victory for the resistance."
The UW issued a statement, condemning the group's illegal seizure of the building. The protesters barricaded access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building, and set fires to two dumpsters on a street outside, according to the university.
Officers from both the UW Police and local law enforcement worked together to manage the situation, beginning to clear the area outside the building around 10:30 p.m., before entering the building at 11 p.m. Approximately 30 protesters who occupied the building were taken into custody and charged with trespassing, property destruction, and disorderly conduct, along with a conspiracy to commit all three offenses, the university stated.
The protesters, organized under the Students United for Palestinian Equality & Return (SUPER UW) student group, accused Boeing of creating weapons of mass destruction that, they claim, are used by the Israeli government in Gaza conflicts.
"The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing," SUPER UW said in a social media post, while rallying others to join the protest. They urged participants to wear masks and cover any identifiable features.
After capturing the building, the protesters erected a banner reading "Sha'ban Al-Dalou Building," symbolically renaming it after a 19-year-old Palestinian man who was killed during the bombing of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in 2024. Israel justified the attack by alleging it targeted a Hamas command center embedded within the facility.
This standoff exemplifies the intersection of campus activism, corporate influence, and wider geopolitical issues that permeate university-industry relationships.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Digital and Fox Business. You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
- Despite the ongoing confrontation at the University of Washington over ties to Boeing, it's crucial to remember that university-industry relationships also influence other domains such as sports, politics, and education-and-self-development.
- The intersection between university activism over corporate ties, as seen in the UW's protest against Boeing, can potentially impact various areas including sports, politics, and education-and-self-development.
