Police arrested dozens of pro-Palestine demonstrators at the University of Washington and Swarthmore College this week during campus protests. The arrests occurred as protesters occupied buildings and cleared encampments tied to demands that universities divest from companies with ties to Israel or involved in defense manufacturing like Boeing.
In Washington state, police arrested approximately 30 student activists Monday night after they occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering building at the University of Washington. The group, Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, demanded the university sever ties with Boeing due to its business with Israel. The students stated tuition and research funds should not be used to finance what they described as "genocide" in Gaza.
Across the country in Pennsylvania, nine people were arrested Saturday at Swarthmore College. Police dismantled a solidarity encampment named "Hossam Shabat Liberated Zone," honoring a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist killed in Gaza in March. The arrests took place as authorities moved to clear the area. Democracy Now reported on the arrests at both campuses.
Protesters at Swarthmore demanded the college stop investing in companies they claim profit from "occupation, aggression, and Israeli apartheid." They also sought sanctuary campus status to protect immigrant community members.
The University of Washington issued a statement condemning the building occupation as illegal and destructive. The university also referenced a statement issued by a group of suspended students Monday it called antisemitic, stating the institution opposes antisemitism in all forms. A previous encampment at UW was cleared last year after concerns arose over antisemitic graffiti.
The campus unrest, impacting institutions from the University of Washington to Swarthmore College, is occurring as former President Donald Trump continues to voice criticism of universities he views as harboring antisemitism, including past comments regarding Harvard. The events receive coverage from varied news organizations, including Univision.
