Latest news with #Boeing-funded
Middle East Eye
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
University of Washington pro-Palestine students occupy a building funded by Boeing
Around 30 pro-Palestinian students were arrested on Monday night after occupying a building at the University of Washington in Seattle, AP reported on Tuesday. Members of Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at the University of Washington said on its Facebook page that it occupied the Boeing-funded engineering building because 'The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing'. It says it staged the protest 'over the aviation company's defense contracts and arms sales to Israel'. The students were arrested on charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
About 30 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after occupying University of Washington building
A group of about 30 pro-Palestinian students was arrested Monday night after occupying a building at the University of Washington in Seattle, setting dumpsters on fire and creating a "dangerous" environment, university officials said. The group, called Super UW, said on its Facebook page that it "launched an occupation of the new Boeing-funded engineering building" and was staging a protest over the aviation company's defense contracts and arms sales to Israel. Super UW said it took the action to mark the anniversary of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped — calling it a "heroic victory." "About 30 individuals who occupied the building were arrested [on] charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, will be referred to the King County Prosecutor's Office," university spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement. The protest is a possible sign that this summer could see a repeat of the widespread pro-Palestine encampments, occupations and marches that took place on college campuses across the country last year. Balta said university police and other law enforcement officers began clearing away crowds of supporters, many wearing black masks, outside the building at 10:30 p.m. on Monday before police moved inside at 11 p.m. The group created a "dangerous environment" in and around the building by blocking entrances by stacking furniture and setting two dumpsters on fire in the street outside, Balta said. The university's statement also said it "strongly condemns this illegal building occupation" and an unspecified "antisemitic statement" made by a suspended student group on Monday. The statement said it would "not be intimidated by this offensive and destructive behavior." The Seattle Police Department referred questions to the University of Washington Police Department. The newly opened 75,000-square-foot Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which cost about $102 million and opened this Spring, was partially funded by a $10 million donation from Boeing. Super UW posted on Facebook just before 9 p.m., on Monday, "SHOW UP TO THE IEB NOW!!! THE CROWD IS WHAT'S DETERRING THE POLICE FROM MOVING IN." The group claimed that the university had struck a deal to create a "pipeline of students into the Boeing workforce," and allow the company's executives control over its curriculum. At the same time, it accused the university of being complicit in the "mass genocide of Palestinian people." Greg Hyslop, Boeing's chief engineer and executive vice president of engineering, test, and technology, announced the partnership, saying it would allow the company to "partner more closely with the university on cutting-edge technologies." UW was the site of pro-Palestinian protests last year, when a three-week encampment ended when university management negotiated an end to the protest. Protesters at Columbia University in New York had planned to start a new encampment there last month, but activists failed to show. This article was originally published on
NBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
About 30 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after occupying University of Washington building
A group of about 30 pro-Palestinian students was arrested Monday night after occupying a building at the University of Washington in Seattle, setting dumpsters on fire and creating a "dangerous" environment, university officials said. The group, called Super UW, said on its Facebook page that it "launched an occupation of the new Boeing-funded engineering building" and was staging a protest over the aviation company's defense contracts and arms sales to Israel. Super UW said it took the action to mark the anniversary of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped — calling it a "heroic victory." "About 30 individuals who occupied the building were arrested [on] charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, will be referred to the King County Prosecutor's Office," university spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement. The protest is a possible sign that this summer could see a repeat of the widespread pro-Palestine encampments, occupations and marches that took place on college campuses across the country last year. Balta said university police and other law enforcement officers began clearing away crowds of supporters, many wearing black masks, outside the building at 10:30 p.m. on Monday before police moved inside at 11 p.m. The group created a "dangerous environment" in and around the building by blocking entrances by stacking furniture and setting two dumpsters on fire in the street outside, Balta said. The university's statement also said it "strongly condemns this illegal building occupation" and an unspecified "antisemitic statement" made by a suspended student group on Monday. The statement said it would "not be intimidated by this offensive and destructive behavior." The Seattle Police Department referred questions to the University of Washington Police Department. The newly opened 75,000-square-foot Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which cost about $102 million and opened this Spring, was partially funded by a $10 million donation from Boeing. Super UW posted on Facebook just before 9 p.m., on Monday, "SHOW UP TO THE IEB NOW!!! THE CROWD IS WHAT'S DETERRING THE POLICE FROM MOVING IN." The group claimed that the university had struck a deal to create a "pipeline of students into the Boeing workforce," and allow the company's executives control over its curriculum. At the same time, it accused the university of being complicit in the "mass genocide of Palestinian people." Greg Hyslop, Boeing's chief engineer and executive vice president of engineering, test, and technology, announced the partnership, saying it would allow the company to "partner more closely with the university on cutting-edge technologies." UW was the site of pro-Palestinian protests last year, when a three-week encampment ended when university management negotiated an end to the protest. Protesters at Columbia University in New York had planned to start a new encampment there last month, but activists failed to show.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens arrested after pro-Palestinian protesters occupy University of Washington building
More than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Monday after occupying an engineering building at the University of Washington, where they demanded the university sever ties with Boeing over the aerospace giant's military contracts and its role in supplying weapons used in the war in Gaza. The occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building began shortly before the building closed at 5 p.m. Monday, according to Victor Balta, a spokesperson for the university. The engineering building was partially funded by a $10 million donation from Boeing, according to the university's website. 'Individuals who mostly covered their faces blocked access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building and ignited fires in two dumpsters on a street outside,' Balta said in a statement to CNN. The university spokesperson said 'about 30 individuals' inside the building were arrested. Charges including trespassing, property destruction, disorderly conduct and conspiracy will be referred to county prosecutors, Balta said, noting any students among them will also be referred to the Student Conduct Office. Protesters called for the building to be renamed after a teenage engineering student who they say was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. A banner was hung from a second-floor window of the building during the occupation, CNN affiliate KOMO reported. Officers with Washington State Patrol's Rapid Deployment Teams entered the building along with campus police and Seattle police, Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis told CNN. Local firefighters responded to the fires outside, Lotis noted. Authorities began clearing the area outside the building at around 10:30 p.m. and started removing the protesters inside about half an hour later, Balta said. Officers were seen escorting multiple detained people from the building, according to footage from KOMO. Crowds outside could be heard continuing to chant. Police respond to pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Washington's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building on Monday evening. - KOMO It's unclear whether those arrested were students. Earlier the university spokesperson said anyone remaining in the building after it closed would be considered trespassing and will 'face legal and student conduct actions.' The demonstration appears to have been organized by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER) UW, a student group advocating for Palestinian rights, according to the group's social media pages. Posts on the group's page claimed 'UW students are occupying the Boeing-funded Engineering Building on campus to protest the university's ties to Boeing.' CNN reached out to campus and Seattle police, the fire department, the Washington State Patrol and Boeing for comment. The group's post on the rally urged supporters to 'wear a mask and cover (identifiable) features' and directed readers to the group's manifesto published online. Besides laying out demands for the university to cut ties with Boeing, the manifesto ties the group's actions to the wider student movement in support of Palestinian rights and praises the terror attacks on Israel carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, using language similar to how Hamas describes the attacks. Super UW is a 'suspended student group' at the university, according to Balta, who denounced the group's statement about the occupation as 'antisemitic.' 'The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms,' Balta said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at
CNN
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Dozens arrested after pro-Palestinian protesters occupy University of Washington building
CNN — More than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Monday after occupying an engineering building at the University of Washington, where they demanded the university sever ties with Boeing over the aerospace giant's military contracts and its role in supplying weapons used in the war in Gaza. The occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building began shortly before the building closed at 5 p.m. Monday, according to Victor Balta, a spokesperson for the university. The engineering building was partially funded by a $10 million donation from Boeing, according to the university's website. 'Individuals who mostly covered their faces blocked access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building and ignited fires in two dumpsters on a street outside,' Balta said in a statement to CNN. The university spokesperson said 'about 30 individuals' inside the building were arrested. Charges including trespassing, property destruction, disorderly conduct and conspiracy will be referred to county prosecutors, Balta said, noting any students among them will also be referred to the Student Conduct Office. Protesters called for the building to be renamed after a teenage engineering student who they say was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. A banner was hung from a second-floor window of the building during the occupation, CNN affiliate KOMO reported. Officers with Washington State Patrol's Rapid Deployment Teams entered the building along with campus police and Seattle police, Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis told CNN. Local firefighters responded to the fires outside, Lotis noted. Authorities began clearing the area outside the building at around 10:30 p.m. and started removing the protesters inside about half an hour later, Balta said. Officers were seen escorting multiple detained people from the building, according to footage from KOMO. Crowds outside could be heard continuing to chant. It's unclear whether those arrested were students. Earlier the university spokesperson said anyone remaining in the building after it closed would be considered trespassing and will 'face legal and student conduct actions.' The demonstration appears to have been organized by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER) UW, a student group advocating for Palestinian rights, according to the group's social media pages. Posts on the group's page claimed 'UW students are occupying the Boeing-funded Engineering Building on campus to protest the university's ties to Boeing.' CNN reached out to campus and Seattle police, the fire department, the Washington State Patrol and Boeing for comment. The group's post on the rally urged supporters to 'wear a mask and cover (identifiable) features' and directed readers to the group's manifesto published online. Besides laying out demands for the university to cut ties with Boeing, the manifesto ties the group's actions to the wider student movement in support of Palestinian rights and praises the terror attacks on Israel carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, using language similar to how Hamas describes the attacks. Super UW is a 'suspended student group' at the university, according to Balta, who denounced the group's statement about the occupation as 'antisemitic.' 'The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms,' Balta said.
