SEATTLE — Dozens of protesters have set up camp in a portion of the University of Washington’s Quad. They’re demanding the university cut ties with Israel, Boeing, and stop silencing Palestinian voices on campus.
Progressive Student Union at UW and UW United Front for Palestinian Liberation have joined efforts in their demands. As of Wednesday night, at least 100 people are in the encampment.
They're specifically targeting the university's connection to Boeing because of the company's defense unit and military work. According to its website, Boeing has maintained offices in Israel since 1969. It has a corporate office in Tel Aviv. Reporting from Bloomberg found Boeing rushed thousands of GPS-guided bomb kits to Israel in the wake of the October 7th Hamas Attack.
That day, Hamas killed 1,139 people and took 253 hostages. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, including 25,000 women and children. Thousands more are injured. More than a million Palestinians are displaced. This is what's spurred college students into action.
Over the past two weeks, police have arrested hundreds of college students across the country. The violent clashes, police in riot gear moving in and manhandling anyone in their way, are reminiscent of the Vietnam Era college campus protests.
At UW, however, things remain peaceful. There have been no arrests. Organizers are determined to keep it that way because they see what’s happening elsewhere.
"We can all see the atrocities being committed,” Zho Ragen, a recent UW graduate and spokesperson for United Front Palestinian Liberation, said. "These videos coming out of Columbia, UCLA, and Humboldt State, students are being met with police in riot gear while they are peacefully protesting a genocide.”
Ragen said their solidarity encampment is prepared for whatever happens in the future. They’re stocked with food, water, medical supplies, and medics. They don’t plan to leave until the university meets their demands.
While some Jewish students feel unsafe, others are taking part in the encampment. Joe, a student who asked to only use his first name, said him being Jewish makes it even more important for him to speak up for a ceasefire in Gaza and the UW demands.
"I'm here as a Jewish guy to say there's a lot of people in the Jewish community that stand behind that message," Joe said. He pointed out several times criticizing Israel is not antisemitic. Otherwise, he wouldn't be taking part in this collective action.
The University of Washington released the following one sentence statement when asked questions about the encampment, similar to their Monday statement:
"We will continue to monitor the situation and will respond as appropriate to maintain a safe and secure environment for our campus community."