UW CAVES, pledges to offer scholarships to Gazan students, press no charges in deal with encampment protesters

The University of Washington’s Gaza encampment will be dismantled after administrators and organizers struck a deal on Friday morning. Part of the deal includes scholarships for Gazan students and to forgo any citations for those in the unsanctioned encampment. 

UW officials caved to the protesters' demands and agreed to forgo filing any criminal charges for unsanctioned camping against individuals involved in the illegal occupation as long as the encampment is permanently dismantled. 

As a result, Gaza camp organizers agreed to dismantle the encampment situated on the Quad by 3 pm Monday, and not reestablish it. 

In a press release on Friday afternoon, the University of Washington said: 

“With a commitment from students, faculty, staff and community supporters to voluntarily end the encampment on a permanent basis the university will: Forgo referrals for citations or conduct violations for camping, consider the commitment to voluntarily end the encampment a significantly favorable mitigating factor in the resolution of any student conduct matters related to the encampment, and will follow its non-retaliation policies with respect to students, staff and faculty who participated in the encampment.” 

Administrators have agreed to provide funding for a minimum of 20 scholarships to Palestinian students who have been displaced from Gaza. 

In addition, administrators said they would form a faculty committee tasked with proposing modifications to study abroad programs that exclude enrollment on the grounds of a student's Arab or Palestinian heritage. 

The university also intends to enhance the level of transparency regarding its investments, which includes investments from Boeing, major weapons manufacturers, and Israeli companies. UW officials stated that it has no direct investments in those companies at this time. 

The initial demands of the group included to “cut all ties with Boeing.” However, UW officials shot that request down during prior negotiations. 

According to the press release, the University’s Office of Global Affairs is prepared to help interested faculty pursue new and renewed academic connection with Palestinian Universities and efforts will initiate in summer 2024. 

While the university said they would not file criminal charges for illegal camping, officials said they would continue to investigate incidents involving violations of the university’s student conduct code. 

“The University has not and will not discipline students exercising their First Amendment rights in accordance with applicable laws and the university student conduct code. Vandalism, property damage, bias, harassment, or discrimination are violations of law and the student conduct code and will continue to be investigated and acted on accordingly,” officials said. 

The encampment has been inundated with violence and criminal activity committed by outside agitators, including members of left-wing extremist group Antifa. 

Since the Gaza camp was erected on the Quad lawn more than three weeks ago, Jews on campus have been blocked from walking and harassed, Israeli flags have been stolen and destroyed, antisemitic slurs have been used against Jewish students, buildings have been vandalized with antisemitic, anti-American, and anti-police graffiti. Vigils and rallies were also held for terrorists, and murals honoring Palestinian terrorists were also erected inside the encampment. 

Journalists have also been assaulted and had their video cameras spray painted by protesters inside the encampment including black bloc Antifa militants. One Jewish student was threatened by masked hammer-wielding men who were yelling at them in Arabic. 

Organizers with the Gaza encampment acknowledged the agreement and confirmed in a letter that the encampment would allegedly be dismantled. 

“The Popular University for Gaza Liberated Zone at the University of Washington-Seattle has concluded after reaching an agreement with UW administration. The agreement was finalized the morning of May 17th, 2024. We are under no illusions that this agreement is a win. The only true win is Palestinian liberation,” organizers said in the letter. 

“Many of our demands remain unfulfilled as the UW has shown clear reluctance to make even the smallest progress towards reducing our complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The UW has demonstrated its commitment to neoliberal values, war profiteers, and facilitators of oppression over the calls of its students, faculty, and workers. UW would rather maintain the status quo than stand against genocide,” the letter continued. 

However, the group said that despite the university’s “reluctance” they secured “progress in certain areas.”