At least 30 individuals have been arrested at the University of Washington (UW) in the northeastern United States after a group of militants identifying as pro-Palestinian occupied a portion of a university building. According to local reports, police responded to the incident at the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which was occupied just before its closing time.
The group, calling themselves “Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return,” claimed responsibility for the occupation, demanding the university end its relationship with Boeing due to the company’s dealings with Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Social media footage captured protesters clashing with police, including scenes of burning garbage containers in the street. Riot police were seen entering the occupied building to remove the activists.
In a statement, a UW spokesperson condemned the illegal occupation and denounced an antisemitic declaration made by a group of suspended students earlier that week. The university reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a safe learning and research environment and emphasized its opposition to antisemitism in all its forms.
The organizers of the protest expressed to local media their goal of eliminating Boeing’s influence from the educational space. Boeing, a major aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, has deep historical ties with the University of Washington.
The university clarified that the intruders had concealed their faces and barricaded the building’s entrances with furniture to hinder police efforts to remove them. Fortunately, it was reported that all individuals associated with UW who wished to leave the building were able to do so.
This is not the first such protest at the university; last year, activists occupied UW facilities for three weeks, establishing a pro-Palestinian camp and urging the institution to sever ties with both the aerospace company and Israel. That protest, referred to as the “Liberated Zone,” concluded after reaching an agreement with the university and after reports of antisemitic graffiti appeared on campus.
The current protest comes at a time when U.S. universities are facing scrutiny from former President Donald Trump, who has accused some institutions, including prestigious ones like Harvard, of facilitating pro-Palestinian protests and spreading antisemitic rhetoric.
The situation reflects broader tensions regarding university relations with corporations and their responses to complex geopolitical issues, showing how activism continues to evolve in academic settings.