Christians, Jews march against Gaza camp at University of Washington

The Gaza camp has been set up on the Quad since the end of April and has been the site of multiple incidents of bias and violence against Jewish students.

The Pursuit Church NW organized the rally to stand with Israel and call for an end to the Gaza camp.

Jews and Christians rallied in Red Square on UW's campus, at approximately 4:30 pm for 30 minutes before marching to the Gaza camp. The rally included speeches from Pastor Russel Johnson, as well as The Post Millennial's Ari Hoffman.

The original flyer for the march showed the route going through the Quad where the Gaza camp is located. However, the pro-Israel group never entered the camp, set up on public space, because they were met by barricades and police officers protecting the activists and Antifa militants, many of whom are not students at the university.

The barricades were provided to the activists by the University of Washington. A spokesperson for the university told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “The barricades are in place around the Quad in order to dissuade opposing groups from engaging with one another. And we have been in contact with the march organizers as well as representatives in the encampment in advance.”

While the main entrance to the Quad was guarded by police, other entrances were guarded by Antifa and anti-Israel activists using the barricades provided by the university. Activists reinforced some of the barricades with bike racks and wooden pallets.

The main march proceeded to the church for another rally before Christians attended services, but at one of the other blockades, an Antifa militant stole an American flag off the shoulders of Hoffman, who is Jewish, and was covering the event while participating in the rally.

Nearby police refused to act and ordered Hoffman out of the area.

However, as the militant who stole the flag ran back to the Gaza camp, the activists turned on one of their own who they believed to be part of the pro-Israel rally, and began pummeling him.

Activists were also seen burning multiple Israeli flags and threatening members of the media.

On Thursday when the march was announced, Antifa promptly responded by calling for action against the march of Jews and Christians.

A flier for the action read, "Wear bloc, come with friends, stay dangerous."

The university, in response to concerns of violence, called for the activists to disband the Gaza camp. “The University’s response to students’ call for change will not be based on an encampment. It will be through constructive engagement on issues that are important or meaningful to our students and broader campus community. We call on members to dismantle the encampment voluntarily for everyone’s safety and continue constructive engagement for collective action.”

On Tuesday, anti-Israel activists allied with Antifa militants blocked all walkways leading to the Gaza camp in the Quad using metal barricades provided by the university in response to a speech given by Turning Point USA’s CEO Charlie Kirk on campus.

However, the university did not provide security to staff the barricades and as a result, activists seized the barriers and would not let students, including Jews, walk freely on campus.

While the Quad was blockaded, university administrators were seen negotiating with one of the encampment activists, identified as 39-year-old Michael Moynihan, who has been charged for blockading the I-5 freeway in downtown Seattle in January for over 6 hours to support Hamas.

The school’s administration has also failed to address the discrimination and violence that has been occurring in and around the encampment since it was created last month.

Since the Gaza camp was erected, Jews on campus have been blocked from walking and harassed, Israeli flags have been stolen and destroyed, antisemitic slurs were used against Jewish students, buildings were vandalized with antisemitic and anti-cop graffiti, and vigils and rallies were held for terrorists.

Journalists have also been assaulted and had their video cameras spray painted while one Jewish student was threatened by masked hammer-wielding men who were yelling at them in Arabic.