Latest news with #SuperUW
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
University of Washington faces federal review after pro-Palestinian protest
The Trump administration has launched a review into what it describes as 'recent incidents of antisemitic violence' at the University of Washington and its affiliates following a pro-Palestinian protest there on Monday that led to about 30 arrests. On Monday, protesters associated with the student group Super UW – short for Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return – temporarily occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building on the university's Seattle campus. The group's social media posts note that the protest and occupation of the engineering building was aimed at pressuring the university to sever its ties with Boeing, which donated $10m toward the building's construction in 2022, over the aviation company's arms sales and defense contracts with Israel. 'UW students want Boeing off our campus,' the group, which the university said is suspended from campus, wrote. The group also called for the building to be renamed the Shaban al-Dalou Building in honor of a teenage engineering student who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. In a statement, the university condemned the building occupation as 'dangerous, violent and illegal' and said that the protesters 'vandalized the building', 'blocked access to two streets' and 'set dumpsters on fire in a nearby street'. University spokesperson Victor Balta said that about 30 people who occupied the building were arrested and that 'charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, will be referred to the King county prosecutor's office'. Balta also denounced an unspecified statement issued by the group on Monday as 'antisemitic', without elaborating or providing evidence. It is also unclear on what grounds the Trump administration is alleging antisemitism. The Guardian has reached out to the University of Washington for clarification. 'The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms,' Balta added in the statement. In posts on social media, the student group said that law enforcement was violent with protesters during the arrests on Monday night and that three people required hospitalization. On Tuesday evening, the federal government's Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration issued a joint press release announcing a review of 'recent incidents of antisemitic violence' at UW and its affiliates. In the statement, the administration praised UW's 'strong response to last night's violence' and the 'swift action by law enforcement'. However, the administration said that UW 'must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment'. The federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism 'expects the institution to follow up with enforcement actions and policy changes that are clearly necessary to prevent these uprisings moving forward', the statement added. The education secretary, Linda McMahon, also warned that the taskforce 'will not allow these so-called 'protesters' to disrupt campus life and deprive students, especially Jewish students who live in fear on campus, of their equal opportunity protections and civil rights'. The University of Washington review is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses under the Trump administration. In recent months, the education department's civil rights office has warned 60 colleges and universities that they may face 'enforcement actions' over alleged failure to comply with federal civil rights laws related to antisemitism, and the administration has also threatened to cut off federal funding to schools that permit what it deems 'illegal protests'. In March, Columbia University, which has been under scrutiny by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian protests on its campus last year, agreed to a series of policy changes in order to restore $400m in federal funding that the administration revoked after citing allegations that the school failed to protect students from antisemitic harassment. The Trump administration has also frozen billions of dollars of federal funding to Harvard University after the university rejected a list of demands from the administration. Harvard has since filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the government of attempting to 'gain control of academic decision-making'. This week, the Department of Education informed Harvard that it was ending billions of dollars in research grants and other aid unless the school accedes to the list of demands.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens arrested after protests escalate at University of Washington in Seattle
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief About 30 people were arrested after a protest escalated Monday night at UW. The university said protesters created a dangerous environment near the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. A suspended student group allegedly organized the protest over the building's ties to Boeing. SEATTLE - Thirty-one people were arrested after protests escalated Monday night at the University of Washington. The university released a statement Tuesday morning condemning illegal activity and an antisemitic statement issued by a "suspended student group", though it did not name the group. By the end of the day, four of the 31 people arrested had a first appearance hearing and were released by the court. An additional person was initially scheduled to have a court appearance but posted bond. The remaining 26 people were given first appearance hearing dates for Wednesday morning. However, they also posted bond and are not required to appear for those gross misdemeanor arrests. As of Tuesday evening, no one had been referred to the county for felony charges. The other side The group 'Super UW' – Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return – posted on Instagram claiming the protest was in opposition to a newly funded building by Boeing. The group said it was demanding the university cut ties with Boeing due to the company's military contracts and repurpose the building. A member of Super UW told FOX 13 Seattle they stand by their statement that the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attacks were "heroic," but they said they are not antisemitic. "There's a lot of conflation between Zionism and Judaism, and to anyone who has taken the time to actually look at what Zionism as a national project means and the kind of the creation of it in the early, sorry, in the late 1800s understand it to exist as a different thing as Judaism as an entirety," said Noah Weigh a UW Student and member of Super UW. What they're saying The university said protesters created a dangerous environment around the new Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, prompting a law enforcement response. Protesters, many with covered faces, reportedly blocked access to two streets near the building, including entrances and exits. Campus police began clearing the area at about 10:30 p.m. and entered the building roughly 30 minutes later. The university said about 30 individuals were arrested for occupying the building, with charges including trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct. (Cam Higby via Storyful) What we don't know UW has not confirmed whether the group included enrolled students, but said any students identified will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Source Information in this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle, and a press release by the University of Washington. Possible Impacts This sort of action on UW's campus could cost the university millions. On Tuesday, Columbia University announced it was cutting about 180 staff members. This decision follows the Trump administration announcing it had canceled $400 million in federal grant dollars to the school. The announcement was made in March and the decision was based on the school's "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment." Columbia University said it will cut around 180 staff members Tuesday following the Trump administration's announcement in March that it canceled $400 million in federal grants over the Ivy League school's "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment." Regina Sassoon Friedland the regional director of the American Jewish Committee tells FOX 13 Seattle she stands with the president's willingness to protect the Jewish community from antisemitism. However, she thinks university's should be given the chance to take their own actions. "If the schools are taking action, the way the University of Washington did last night, they're taking this seriously on their own, and in a case like that, I don't think we need federal intervention if they are already taking action," she said. MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE Inmate escapes police at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Jamie Tompkins claims Seattle police scandal was a setup. Here's why 3 small WA businesses voted most worth a 1-hour drive 2 new trails connect Redmond transit station to King County park WA joins lawsuit against RFK Jr., Trump administration for dismantling HHS Seattle nightclub stabbing leaves 2 men injured in Pioneer Square To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after occupying University of Washington building
Police arrested about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied a University of Washington engineering building and demanded the school break ties with Boeing. Students from the group Super UW moved into the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in Seattle on Monday evening and unofficially renamed it after Shaban al-Dalou, a teenage engineering student who was killed along with his mother after an Israeli airstrike caused an inferno outside of a Gaza hospital. The students demanded that the university sever all ties with Boeing, including returning any Boeing donations and barring the company's employees from teaching at or otherwise influencing the school. Boeing has donated over $100 million to UW since 1917, including $10 million for the engineering building, The Seattle Times reported. Because of Boeing's donation, the aviation manufacturer was granted naming rights for the building's second level. Boeing is a key supplier to the Israeli Defense Forces, and the country has received more military aid from the U.S. than any other country since World War II. 'We're hoping to remove the influence of Boeing and other manufacturing companies from our educational space, period, and we're hoping to expose the repressive tactics of the university,' Super UW spokesperson Eric Horford told KOMO News. People dressed in black blocked the front of the building with furniture and used dumpsters to block a nearby road, university officials said. UW police worked with Seattle police to clear the building at around 10:30 p.m., UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement. The people were taken into custody on charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, he said. Their cases have been referred to the King County prosecutors. Any students identified will be referred to the Student Conduct Office, Balta said. The U.S. Department of Education said in a statement Tuesday that the incident will be investigated. 'The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism appreciates the university's strong statement condemning last night's violence and applauds the quick action by law enforcement officers to remove violent criminals from the university campus,' the statement said. 'While these are good first steps, the university must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment." The Trump administration has argued universities have allowed antisemitism to go unchecked at campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza and has opened investigations at colleges, frozen federal funding and detained and deported several foreign students with ties to pro-Palestinian protests. Additionally, Israel's government on Monday approved plans to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel's operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Israel says 59 captives remain in Gaza. Twenty-one of them are still believed to be alive. Israel's ensuing offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US reviews occupation of University of Washington building by pro-Palestinian protesters
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Tuesday it will review an incident at the University of Washington in which pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a university building while demanding the school cut ties with Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab over its contracts with the Israeli military. The administration of President Donald Trump labeled the incident as antisemitic activity. While it praised the university and law enforcement officials for their response, it urged the school to take enforcement actions and make policy changes. The university said on Tuesday thirty pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied the building late on Monday were arrested, and charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct would be referred to prosecutors. Boeing gave the school, opens new tab a $10 million donation for an engineering building in 2022. "The Task Force's review is in response to the eruption of antisemitic harassment and violence that occurred Monday, May 5 at UW's campus in Seattle," the U.S. Education Department, Health Department and General Services Administration said, opens new tab in a statement. The university had no immediate comment after the Trump administration statement late on Tuesday. The protest group, called Super UW, said police had removed the students who occupied the building. It also said 30 people were taken into custody but some were released. The Trump administration has threatened universities with federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian campus protests against Israel's military assault on Gaza following Palestinian Hamas militants' October 2023 attack in Israel. The administration has attempted to deport some protesters, and rights advocates have raised free speech and academic freedom concerns. Trump casts the protests as antisemitic and as sympathetic to Hamas. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government wrongly conflates their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza with antisemitism and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.
New York Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Cops arrest 30 anti-Israel protesters who took over University of Washington facility, started fire and called Oct. 7 ‘heroic'
Seattle police broke up a chaotic anti-Israel protest at the University of Washington on Tuesday, arresting 30 as demonstrators started a blaze and took over a science building overnight. The Super UW group seized the school's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building on Monday night, blocking access to the facility and setting two dumpsters on fire as they praised Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 people and saw another 251 kidnapped. 'We are taking this building amidst the current and renewed wave of the student Intifada, following the uprising of student action for Palestine after the heroic victory of Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th, which shattered the illusion of Zionist-imperialist domination and brought Palestine to the forefront for all justice-loving people of the world,' the protesters said in a manifesto. Advertisement 4 Anti-Israel protesters set fire to dumpsters outside the University of Washington's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. KOMO News 4 About 30 protesters were arrested after occupying the building and demanding the school cut ties with Boeing. KOMO News The group was specifically calling on the university to cut its ties with Boeing — which donated $10 million to the school in 2022 and has a facility nearby — due to the company's defense contracts with the US military and support of the Israel Defense Forces. 'We're hoping to remove the influence of Boeing and other manufacturing companies from our educational space, period, and we're hoping to expose the repressive tactics of the university,' Super UW spokesperson Eric Horford told KOMO. Advertisement As part of the siege, the group also hung a banner on the second-floor of the building, renaming it after Shaban al-Dalou, an engineering student who was killed along with his mother after an Israeli airstrike ignited a fire outside a Gaza hospital. The group made their way to the building just before it closed at 5 p.m., wearing masks as they stacked furniture near the entryways, university officials said. 4 The large blaze caused UW and Seattle police to move in and take the building back from protesters. KOMO News Advertisement 4 Police surround the building as arrests carried on until early Tuesday. KOMO News UW and Seattle police made their way into the building at around 11 p.m. after the dumpsters were set on fire, with the arrests continuing until 3 a.m. when the facility was cleared of its last protester. '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,' the university said in a statement. Advertisement The school also slammed the entire demonstration and manifesto from the Super UW as a blatant show of antisemitism, with the university opting to suspend the group from campus. 'The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms,' the school added. With Post wires
