Pro-Palestinian UW encampment remains after counter-protest, despite university concerns

SEATTLE — The pro-Palestinian encampment in the middle of the UW campus appears to be staying right where it is the day after counter-protesters rallied near the camp.

Representatives of the pro-Palestinian encampment, which is now entering its third week of occupation of the Quad, said they feel buoyed after Sunday's encounter and are determined to hold out for their demands.

Zho Ragen with the University of Washington United Front for Palestinian Liberation told KOMO News on Monday the encampment members "are proud of what happened Sunday."

A pro-Israel group planned to march through their encampment, but rallied near the encampment and never entered the area.

The UW closed off the entrances to the Quad with fencing, and police lined the south entrance to the Quad where both the pro-Palestinian protesters and the counter-protesters came face to face.

It was a lot of verbal lobs and exchanges, but after a short period of time it ended without incident.

RELATED | Counterprotest remains peaceful as pro-Israel group marches near encampment on UW campus

In a statement online Friday, UW said it's been in discussions with representatives of the encampment in the Quad for over a week to find common ground. Officials also asked the encampment to de-camp.

"Every day the encampment remains, the security concerns escalate and become more serious - for our UW community and the people in the encampment itself," the statement reads.

Ragen said the two sides are far from common ground and believes the students' concerns should be the university's priority - insisting a public university should be about the students and education, not business.

The group said they are coordinating now with UW staff to set up further discussions with the university and expect those to happen sometime this week.

Ragen insists they are not budging unless UW "materially and academically divests from Israel, cuts ties with Boeing in recognition of their role as a weapons manufacturer and contractor, and end all repression of pro-Palestinian students, workers and faculty."

KOMO News reached out to UW on Monday to inquire about next steps, its response to widespread tagging on buildings which line the Quad, and if the encampment will be permitted to stay for a third week and a possible fourth.

The UW did not respond to any of KOMO News' questions, but instead pointed to this news release issued Friday.

Students on campus Monday are concerned about UW's commencement ceremony set for June 8 - more than 40,000 spectators alone are expected to attend according to the school's website.

"There is that worry the university might say, ' Oh it's not safe so no more commencement', and those are the students who didn't have a nice entrance to UW because of COVID, so they get another whammy, so there's that extra stress," said UW student Shaun Jumawan.

The psychology major said he had a few friends graduated who have expressed the same concerns and missed out on high school graduation. He said he's made his way through the Quad with no issues, but said it doesn't impact him because he only has one class that takes him through the Quad.

"I get why the university isn't making that move and it can be disruptive," said Jumawan. "But as a student, we are paying top dollar to be safe and what now, so I think right now the university is playing it cool and right now there hasn't been any altercations thankfully."

The buildings and sidewalks in the Quad have been tagged with graffiti, spray painted messages that call on the UW to divest with Israel and to free Gaza and Palestinians.

"I think it is inspiring to see non-vocal images which portray some of the sentiments surrounding the conflict, it definitely sticks with me throughout the day, " said Ruwa, a UW student cutting through the Quad Monday. "It's definitely interesting it doesn't really affect me cause I don't have many classes in the Quad."

Ragen said leaders of their group are working on a day and time to meet with the UW to continue their talks and dialogue. They expect it to happen sometime this week.