University of Washington Protests

Summary

On the evening of May 5, 2025, a group of pro‑Palestinian demonstrators affiliated with the student organization Super UW occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. The protesters demanded that the university sever ties with Boeing because of the company’s military contracts with Israel, and they temporarily renamed the building the Shaban al‑Dalou Building after a Palestinian student killed in an Israeli airstrike. During the protest, participants barricaded entrances, blocked nearby streets, and set multiple dumpsters on fire. Law enforcement officers from UW Police, the Washington State Patrol, and the Seattle Police Department removed the protesters late that night and into the following morning, arresting approximately 30 individuals on charges including trespassing, property destruction, and disorderly conduct.

Following the protest, officials from the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration initiated a review of campus incidents through the Task Force to Combat Anti‑Semitism. The review was conducted under policies and executive orders issued during the Trump administration, which directed federal agencies to investigate and enforce compliance on campuses regarding “antisemitism.” The review cited concerns about the safety and treatment of Jewish students and emphasized that institutions accepting federal funds must comply with civil rights obligations. Similar federal reviews had been conducted at other universities, sometimes affecting pro‑Palestinian or anti‑Zionist activism, and included warning letters, compliance visits, and, in some cases, the withholding or review of federal funding.

In response to the UW events, the University of Washington suspended 21 students and banned them from all campuses, while 13 non‑students involved were barred from entering the Seattle campus. The administration cited damage to the building and its equipment, as well as the dumpster fires, as justification for the disciplinary measures. In the days following the announcement, some students and supporters returned to campus to protest the suspensions and urged university officials and local prosecutors to reconsider charges against those arrested.

Criminal proceedings advanced the following year. In March 2026, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed trespass charges against 33 individuals connected to the May 5, 2025 protest and actions. University officials confirmed that the disciplinary suspensions remained in effect and stated that the events had caused significant damage.