33 charged with trespassing in pro-Palestinian protest at UW Prosecutors have charged 33 individuals affiliated with a pro-Palestinian protest group with first-degree criminal trespassing in connection with a May 2025 occupation of a University of Washington engineering building. The charges were filed nearly 10 months after the group, known as Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return UW (SUPER UW), blocked the entrances to the university’s new Interdisciplinary Engineering Building and refused to vacate the premises for several hours. According to the university, the protesters caused damage to the building and its equipment, including four new manufacturing machines, with estimated damages ranging from $35,000 to $120,000. A University of Washington spokesperson, Victor Balta, stated that the charges represent a critical step in holding individuals accountable for their actions during the protest. He also noted that 21 UW students had already faced suspensions through the university’s student conduct process. Balta emphasized the institution’s commitment to free speech while condemning unlawful behavior, stating, “We value free speech and expression but also must continue to be a campus community where dangerous, unlawful actions are not tolerated.” The protest group, SUPER UW, sought to pressure the university to sever ties with Boeing, a major supplier to the Israel Defense Forces. Protesters hung a banner from a second-floor window of the building, renaming it the Shaban al-Dalou Building in honor of a 19-year-old engineering student killed by an airstrike in Gaza. According to probable cause documents, the incident began when a group of protesters wearing black entered the building around 5 p.m. on May 5, 2025, and barricaded the doors with furniture.#boeing #university_of_washington #super_uw #victor_balta
