Antifa militants plead not guilty, avoid felony charges following $1M in damages at UW

Thirty-three violent Antifa and anti-Israel radicals who caused over $1 million in damage to a brand new building at the University of Washington pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday to criminal charges tied to the occupation.

Nearly a year after the May 2025 takeover of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, prosecutors have charged all 33 defendants with Criminal Trespass in the First Degree, a gross misdemeanor. None are facing felony charges related to the vandalism after prosecutors claimed there was a lack of evidence directly tying any individual to the destruction.

Despite their identities being previously revealed, the court ordered that their faces could not be shown publicly after defense attorneys claimed their clients had concerns about their safety and being doxxed. The defendents are: Tayler Hart, Max Rulff, Zachary Wallaced-Wells, Jade Wu, Jessica Schutz, Luisa Ortega Subdiaz, Ginger Newberry, Kimaya Mahajan, Gina Liu, Lea Keating, Akira Junyaprusert, Anna Hattle, Julia Fraczek, Cade Jackson, Jonas Piper, Ty Park, Lucy Zern, Tasbeet Iman, Ricardo Colon-Galvez, Roberta Collison, Ella Tunduwani, Zainab Chattha, Riley Centerwall, Catherine Brown, Brett Anton, Claire Berger, Yasmin Ahmed, Yafate Yared, Geneveve Konijisky, Finn Brown, Bailey Keen, Lucas Nichols-Mcauslan and Sam Sueoka.

According to court documents obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, many of the activists were released without bail due to limited or no prior criminal history, though they have been ordered to appear for future hearings. Some were also instructed to avoid contact with the university or the engineering building.

Last year, a coordinated occupation of the newly opened engineering building by activists tied to Antifa and anti-Israel groups took place. Many of the violent radicals were members of the now-suspended student organization Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW). The group previously claimed responsibility for the takeover, which targeted the university’s ties to Boeing.

Police reports describe demonstrators entering the building after hours, many dressed in “Black Bloc,” the all-black clothing, masks, helmets, and protective gear commonly associated with Antifa militants. Once inside, protesters barricaded exits with furniture and sealed at least one door shut, temporarily trapping a university employee inside. Outside, other rioters set dumpsters on fire, delaying police response.

Despite the scale of the damage and the coordinated nature of the takeover, investigators later concluded there was insufficient evidence to support felony charges such as burglary or malicious mischief. Authorities and prosecutors said there were no eyewitnesses or surveillance footage capturing the vandalism, and no usable forensic evidence, noting many participants wore gloves.

During arraignment hearings, defense attorneys used the arguments made by the King County Prosecutor’s office for not charging the radicals with felonies to challenge the strength of the case.

Roughly two dozen students tied to the antisemitic occupation were previously suspended by the university but have since been allowed to return to campus. “These students do not have a place at this university,” said Shira Kaufman of the UW Jewish Alumni Association told KOMO News. “If you are not going to engage respectfully in debate… and you're going to take over buildings… this is not how we get politics done in the United States.”

Kaufman also criticized UW’s decision to reinstate the students, calling it “extremely concerning” that those involved are now continuing toward graduation. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.