Students at Western Washington University set up an encampment on Tuesday, May 14 to demand the university divest from companies linked to Israel, and meet other demands related to Palestine.
Members of Jewish Voices for Peace WWU chapter, the Arab Student Association of WWU and other groups set up a Popular University for Gaza on the field in front of Old Main, similar to encampments happening across the country and the world in protest for Palestine. As of Tuesday morning, about 20 tents were set up, with about 50-60 people present.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s attack on Gaza since Oct. 7, when militant group Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 Israelis, the Associated Press reported.
The protesters have five demands, according to signs in the encampment and social media posts: they want Western to acknowledge harm and correct wrongs to Arab students in its response to the war; full financial disclosure of investments in companies connected to Israel; complete divestment from those companies, including Boeing; investment in community by ensuring the launch of an ethnic studies program; and an emergency Board of Trustees meeting to meet the demands. Protesters declined to give their names and most wore masks covering their faces.
In a message to the Western community Tuesday morning, university President Sabah Randhawa acknowledged the protest and said that the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza demands urgent attention and thoughtful consideration.”
“Peaceful protests and demonstrations play a critical role in nurturing students’ growth and fostering civic engagement, and as a public university, it is our responsibility to allow on-campus demonstrations as long as they adhere to University policies,” Randhawa said.
Community guidelines posted in the camp request that protesters center Palestine, take care of each other and refrain from talking to police or counter protesters, among others.
Students met with Randhawa on May 3, according to organizers and an Instagram post. Randhawa did not immediately agree to the demands, which is why the protestors set up the encampment.
Randhawa said the university would not tolerate any hate speech, violence or destruction at the encampment. He confirmed that he had been meeting with student associations to discuss the conflict and their demands.
An FAQ posted Tuesday morning by Western said the university does not anticipate having to involve law enforcement, as previous protests have been peaceful. The FAQ also states that the university will “strive to engage in constructive conversation” with the protesters and “consider common solutions” if they do not “adversely impact our wider community nor the university’s academic mission.”
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
