Anti-Israel protesters occupy University of Washington building, 30 arrested

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Anti-Israel protesters set fire to University of Washington

Fox News correspondent Brooke Singman reports on protesters demands for the university to divest from Boeing.

A group of anti-Israel protesters occupied a building at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle on Monday before police in riot gear intervened and arrested at least 30 of them, according to officials.

The protesters occupied an engineering building on campus for hours and demanded that the school divest from Boeing, the large aerospace and defense manufacturer which has a long history with the university. 

Video from the scene shows several dumpsters on fire as police moved in to regain control of the building after the demonstrators had locked themselves inside. One protester outside could be heard shouting: “Abolish the police. Every cop dead is a victory for the resistance.”

Anti-Israel protesters occupied a University of Washington building on Monday, demanding that the school divest from Boeing, before police arrested 30 demonstrators. The university condemned the illegal occupation. (X/@choeshow)

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The UW said in a statement that the protesters had created a “dangerous environment” in and around the building. 

The protesters, who mostly covered their faces, blocked access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building and ignited fires in two dumpsters on a street outside, the university said. 

UW Police worked with local police to contain the situation and began clearing the area outside the building at around 10:30 p.m. before moving into the building at 11 p.m. 

About 30 protesters who occupied the building were arrested and charged with trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, the university said.

A group of anti-Israel protesters occupied a building at the University of Washington (UW) on Monday before police in riot gear intervened and arrested at least 30 of them, according to officials. (X/@choeshow)

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“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,” UW said in a statement. “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 Students United for Palestinian Equality & Return, a student group at UW, said it helped organize the protest and said that Boeing funded the building to the tune of $10 million. 

“The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing,” the group said in a social media post Monday night while rallying others to join the protest. “Wear a mask, and cover identifiable features,” the group wrote. 

Video from the scene shows several dumpsters on fire as police moved in to regain control of the building after the demonstrators had locked themselves inside. (X/@choeshow)

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The group accused Boeing of building weapons of mass destruction which they said are then used by the government of Israel in its war in Gaza.

“We refuse to be complicit while our education is directly funded and controlled by a corporation whose business leads to a mass genocide of Palestinian people,” the group said. “These bombs, missiles, and other weapons of destruction are made possible through Boeing’s access to UW’s campus, research facilities, and student labor.”

After occupying the building, the protesters erected a banner reading “Sha’ban Al-Dalou Building,” symbolically renaming it after a 19-year-old Palestinian man from Gaza who was killed during the bombing of the Al-Aqsa Hospital on Oct. 14, 2024. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center embedded in the facility. 

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.