University of Washington denounces 'violent and illegal' protest by anti-Israel student group
Dozens of anti-Israel protesters were arrested after taking over a building at the University of Washington’s (UW) Seattle campus to demand that the school divest from companies that have financial ties to Israel.
The next day on May 6, the university condemned the 'violent and illegal' occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.
Dozens of anti-Israel protesters were arrested after taking over a building at the University of Washington’s (UW) Seattle campus to demand that the school divest from companies that have financial ties to Israel.
The incident took place on May 5, according to an announcement sent by the administration to faculty, staff and students.
On May 6, the university condemned the “violent and illegal” occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building by a group identifying as the suspended student organization Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, or SUPER UW.
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SUPER UW is a suspended group that praised Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, as noted by The Washington Free Beacon.
According to the school’s announcement, protesters vandalized the building, blocked exits and streets, and set dumpsters on fire before being arrested by UWPD, Seattle Police, and Washington State Patrol.
University officials made clear this was not a peaceful protest, denouncing the group’s actions and their statement praising the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. The school also stated it will not engage with groups endorsing violence and reaffirmed its commitment to campus safety and opposition to anti-Semitism and other forms of bias.
“King County jail staff are working to identify the roughly 30 people who were arrested, so at the moment we do not know how many are UW students or community members,” the UW administration stated. “We are working with law enforcement and through our own disciplinary processes to ensure those responsible face appropriate consequences for their actions.”
Following the protest, agencies within the Trump administration announced that they will open an investigation into the University of Washington. In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the violent protest as a “horrifying display of the antisemitic harassment and lawlessness which has characterized many of our nation’s elite campuses over the last several years.”
In response, the UW administration acknowledged that it had received notice of the federal investigation and pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.
“The University of Washington condemns antisemitism, harassment and discrimination,” the administration stated on May 7. “Throughout the May 5th incident, the UW was in contact with campus and Seattle Jewish community leaders.”
“The University values its long-standing partnership with the federal government,” the administration continued. “We will cooperate with the Task Force’s review and are confident that an evaluation will find we are in compliance with federal civil rights laws.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Washington for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
