The occupation comes days after anti-Israel and Antifa activists were allowed back on campus after causing over $1 million in damage to a brand new engineering building during another occupation.
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters occupied Gerberding Hall at the University of Washington on Friday, just days after anti-Israel and Antifa activists were allowed back on campus for the first time since a suspension nine months ago for causing over $1 million in damage to a brand new engineering building during a violent occupation.
Organizers said the action was intended to force UW administrators to respond to demands for clearer rules governing immigration enforcement on campus, including limits on information-sharing and transparency about surveillance. Video and photos from the scene obtained by Fox 13 showed large crowds outside the administration building and dozens inside. Mathieu Chabaud, with Students for a Democratic Society UW, told the outlet, “This is a University of Washington administration that has shown time and time again it will not move to action unless it is forced to.”
According to the group, protesters delivered four demands: a public commitment to comply with Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act and not share information with ICE or DHS; disclosure of surveillance technology used on campus and any communications or agreements with DHS components such as HSI, ICE, and CBP; clearer definitions of spaces where ICE cannot enter, use of UW’s alert system to notify the community of confirmed ICE activity in the U-District, and “know your rights” training; and assurances that ICE cannot enter UW health care facilities, paired with stronger guidance for staff beyond simply notifying administrators.
Pictures and videos showed 200 to 300 people, described by the university as a mix of middle school, high school, and college-aged individuals, entered Gerberding Hall early Friday afternoon, chanting in lobbies and stairwells. University police monitored the protest. Officials said no damage was reported, and the group left voluntarily.
The protest comes as UW continues to face scrutiny over how it manages disruptive protests on campus. Last spring, Antifa militants and anti-Israel activists occupied a newly opened engineering building, resulting in 34 arrests and more than $1 million in damage. After UW completed its student conduct process, 23 students connected to the suspended anti-Israel student group SUPER UW were permitted to return for the new semester, while the criminal investigation has continued without charges filed.
The group had previously caused over $50,000 to the Husky Union Building. No charges were filed then either.
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