Pro-Palestinian activists seized the building of the University of Washington (video)
A group of pro-Palestinian activists seized the University of Washington’s academic building with the demand to end the institution’s cooperation with the Boeing Corporation amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. About this informs ABC News.
According to representatives of the university administration and the protesters themselves, more than 25 people participated in the seizure. The student organization “Students for Palestinian Equality and Return” (SUPER UW) took responsibility for the action. Its representative, Oliver Marchant, noted that all the detainees were inside the building at the time of their arrest. According to him, several of them needed medical assistance due to injuries received during detention.
The incident occurred in the evening at the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB), the construction of which was partially funded by Boeing. The protestors demanded that the name Boeing be removed from the building’s name, and that the university completely cease all contact with the defense corporation. In particular, they called for the return of donations from the company and the prohibition of its representatives from participating in educational programs.
A statement from the university administration said that the protesters blocked the entrances with furniture and partially covered their faces. Anyone who remained in the building after the closure was warned of the illegality of the actions and possible legal liability.
Boeing is one of the Pentagon’s main contractors and has a long-standing partnership with the University of Washington. The protest was part of a wider wave of student protests in the US demanding that universities stop working with companies linked to military conflicts.
