University of Washington taken over by protesters - why are they campaigning and how is Boeing involved?

The protesters have occupied an academic building at the University of Washington on Monday. According to reports, a few dozen demonstrators took over the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building just before it closed at 5pm yesterday (May 5).

Campus police were dispatched to the scene. The protest was organised by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return - they have called for the university to cut all ties with Boeing over its allegations of the firm “profiteering” through the Gaza conflict.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre claims that bombs used on a camp of Palestinian refugees outside Rafah were found to have been manufactured by Boeing. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) also alleges that Boeing has a vested interest in the conflict continuing, as its stock price has “skyrocketed” as US-made weapons are purchased by the Israeli government.

A university spokesperson said: “University of Washington police are on-site at the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which was occupied by a few dozen individuals starting just before the building closed. To the best of our knowledge, everyone connected to the University of Washington who does not want to be inside the building has left.

“Individuals remaining in the building are trespassing and will face legal and student conduct actions.”

Photos and videos being posted on X show that, at the time of publication, police have surrounded the building, and a couple of fires have also been started - allegedly by protesters.