Protesters occupy University of Washington building

Pro-Palestinian protestors occupied a building at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle on Monday, according to a student newspaper.

The Daily, a UW student newspaper, reported Monday that the school’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB) had been occupied by pro-Palestinian protestors over financial links between Boeing and the university.

A group named Students United for Palestinian Equality & Return (SUPER UW) claimed in a post on Medium on Monday that they were “taking this building amidst the current and renewed wave of the student Intifada.”

“The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing. Boeing manufactures the F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, Hellfire missiles, and 500 pound bombs which [I]srael uses to murder entire Palestinian families and destroy Palestinian homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques,” the Medium post read.

Boeing has a historically strong presence in the Seattle area, with two major factories north and south of downtown in Renton and Everett employing many in the communities around Puget Sound.

UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement that later Monday “a number of individuals temporarily occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building and created a dangerous environment in and around the building.” 

The school also said that close to 30 people were arrested and that it will refer “charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three" to the local prosecutor's office.

“Police worked with law enforcement partners to contain the situation and began clearing the area outside the building around 10:30 p.m. before moving into the building to clear it at 11 p.m.,” UW said in their statement.

The Hill has reached out to UW and Boeing for comment.