University of Washington president’s car, private residence vandalized with ‘pro-Hamas symbols’

A video posted to a Seattle Instagram account that claimed to be from an "anonymous submission" showed the vandals clad in black bloc painting red triangles on the house, which are used to symbolize targeting Israeli soldiers and Jews, writing “Free Palestine,” pouring red paint to symbolize blood, and spray painting Ana Marie Cauce is complicit in genocide. A caption read, “President Cauce how do you sleep at night? You will not know peace until you meet the demands of our movement. The clock is ticking.”

University of Washington spokesperson Victor Balta told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI in a statement, “Overnight, several masked perpetrators did significant damage to President Cauce’s home and car, including slashing her car’s tires and painting pro-Hamas symbols.”

He added, “Making threats against a public official in an attempt to intimidate them is a crime. At this time, multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating due to the nature of the threats in the vandalism and in the perpetrators’ social media posts claiming credit. We will use all available resources to identify and bring charges against the individuals responsible. These and similar recent crimes will not influence University policy.”

However, Balta also revealed that this was not the first time a home of Cauce had been targeted. He noted in the statement, “Hill-Crest, the official residence of the UW president, which was donated to the UW in 1931 by the Walker-Ames Family, was also vandalized on Oct. 28.”

The Instagram account that posted the Thursday night vandalism had also posted the day before pictures of the Oct 28 incident. The Seattle landmark was similarly vandalized and also had written on it “Cauce, blood is on your hands,” as well as posters of Che Guevara.

The activists demanded that UW divest from Zionism, cut ties with Boeing, and end “the repression of pro-Palestine community members.”

Last spring, Cauce, and the UW administration were slammed for bowing to the demands of the occupiers of the violent Gaza encampment on campus to get the campers to disband before graduation. Shortly thereafter, Cauce announced she would retire at the end of the upcoming school year after a tumultuous and controversial tenure of ten years as the university’s president.

In September, Hamas pro-Palestinian activists supporters occupied a room where the university’s Board of Regents was holding a public meeting and listening to concerns on antisemitism. Jewish students, faculty, and community members as well as the Board of Regents had to be evacuated by law enforcement from the building.

The lead activist involved in the Board of Regents occupation Hossam Nasr (Mabed) was recently fired from Microsoft for holding a rally for terrorists on the tech giant’s campus. The group that posted the pictures of the vandalized homes also posted pictures of the aftermath of the vandalizing of Microsoft’s campus.

Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) released a statement on Friday condemning the "acts of violence and intimidation." He called on King County prosecutors to take swift action and prosecute the perpetrators.

"This destructive strategy has been condoned for too long. The perpetrators of these crimes are emboldened every time they commit these crimes and are not held accountable. Previous acts of vandalism and other actions that violated the stated rules at the University of Washington have not been punished," Smith said. "We need rules and laws, and it is just as important that we enforce them. It is past time for King County prosecutors to take swift action and prosecute these crimes."

"I also urge Seattle Police Department to take these incidents seriously as they are happening and respond swiftly," he continued. "I urge my fellow colleagues in public offices to also condemn this act of vandalism and to discourage the use of intimidation, vandalism, and destruction in our political dialogue."