Merve Aydogan
06 May 2025•Update: 06 May 2025
HAMILTON, Canada
About 30 pro-Palestinian students were arrested after a protest at the University of Washington (UW) erupted that demanded the school cut ties with Boeing because of its role in the genocide in the Gaza Strip.
"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," school spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement Tuesday.
It said the protest began late Monday shortly before 5 p.m. local time (2100GMT) at the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB), which was partially funded with a $10 million donation from Boeing.
"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," Balta added.
CNN reported that protesters blocked entrances and hung a banner honoring a Palestinian engineering student killed in Gaza by an Israeli airstrike.
Another report by the NBC news said university police began clearing the area around 10.30 p.m. and entered the building half an hour later. The protesters face charges including trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct.
The protest, organized by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER) UW, said on social media that "Boeing invested $10 million into the construction of the IEB."
"In exchange, UW has promised to create a pipeline of students into the Boeing workforce, grant Boeing executives control over UW curriculum, and allow Boeing to establish a base for research within the IEB," added the student group.
It demanded that the university cut “ties with Boeing and that the IEB is repurposed into a Building that Supports Education for the People."
The Seattle Police Department, meanwhile, referred questions to the school’s police department.
The UW Police Department did not respond to Anadolu's request for comment.
*Michael Hernandez in Washington contributed to the story
