Protesters Take Over University of Washington Building

On Monday afternoon, protesters aligned with Antifa and those against Israel occupied a building at the University of Washington. Their protest was sparked by the university’s association with Boeing.

One protester stated, “The University of Washington contributes to the Palestinian genocide through its partnership with Boeing.” A call to action was made via Instagram, urging participants to mask their identities and show solidarity with Palestinians.

During the event, a fire was reportedly ignited, lasting around 45 minutes before authorities intervened.

Witness Cam Higby reported seeing a large crowd obstructing private security from accessing the engineering building. Seattle police also found themselves pushed back by demonstrators.

According to reports, the protesters blocked buses and emergency vehicles, set fires, and even hurled rocks at the police. They threw scooters and bicycles into the flames, causing lithium batteries to explode sporadically.

The fire became so significant that it posed a threat to the nearby campus building.

Additional law enforcement from Seattle and state police arrived to manage the crowd and began to arrest those who remained in the building.

As tensions escalated, shouts of “Death to the police!” were directed at the officers present.

A spokesman for the university indicated that around 30 individuals had been arrested on charges ranging from trespassing to property destruction. Some of these are facing conspiracy charges and will be referred to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

By Tuesday, some of the arrested individuals had already been released.