Approximately thirty demonstrators, advocating for Palestinian rights, taken into custody following their occupation of a University of Washington building.
** opposing antisemitic statements made by a suspended student group also drew condemnation from the university, which stated it would not be intimidated by this "offensive and destructive behavior"**.
Seattle police declined to comment, deferring questions to the University of Washington police.
The Newly Constructed Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, a 75,000-square-foot structure that opened this spring, had been partially funded by a $10 million donation from Boeing. The building was temporarily renamed by the protesters as the Shaban al-Dalou Building.
The controversy began when Super UW took to Facebook, announcing their intent to "occupy the IEB" at 9 p.m. The group alleged that the university had struck a deal to create a "pipeline of students into the Boeing workforce" and to give company executives control over its curriculum, further accusing the university of being complicit in the "mass genocide of Palestinian people".
Greg Hyslop, Boeing's chief engineer and executive vice president of engineering, test and technology, had previously announced the partnership, stating it would allow the company to "partner more closely with the university on cutting-edge technologies".
Last year, UW had experienced similar protests as a three-week encampment took place on the campus, ending only when university management negotiated an end to the protest. This year, protesters at Columbia University in New York had planned to start a new encampment, but so far, activists have failed to show up.
Super UW's actions are just one aspect of a broader movement within some academic circles that criticize corporate and institutional ties to defense industries involved in conflicts around the world. However, these protests have also faced controversy and criticism for their impacts on campus safety and dialogue.
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- Critics from various academic circles, including the suspended student group Super UW at the University of Washington, have been vocally opposing the university's alleged partnership with Boeing, which has led to a possible political debate regarding corporate ties to defense industries.
- The suspension of Super UW followed their alleged trespassing attempt to occupy the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB), a structure partly funded by Boeing, and the group's accusations of the university's complicity in the mass genocide of Palestinian people.
- Despite the general-news controversy surrounding the actions of Super UW and their heroic stance against perceived antisemitic statements made by the university, similar protests have surfaced on campuses worldwide, such as the three-week encampment that took place at UW last year and the planned encampment at Columbia University in New York.
