University of Washington asks protesters to dismantle encampment, citing safety concerns

The University of Washington called on protesters Friday night to dismantle the encampment set up on campus, saying the university’s response to calls for change will “not be based on an encampment.”

According to a news release, the UW administration has been meeting with representatives of the encampment “to find common ground that would result in their voluntary decamping.” UW leadership expressed concerns about safety and potential confrontation during a counterprotest planned for Sunday. Tense confrontations took place last Monday after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk visited campus.

Representatives of the encampment did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night.

Protesters at the encampment of about 100 tents on the university’s Quad have called on UW to divest from companies that do business with Israel, including Boeing, a major weapons supplier to Israel as well as a longtime donor to the university. The university’s leadership has been mum on its plans to respond to the encampment since it began, telling media in the past week it will “monitor” the situation.

UW has made it clear in the past that it’s unlikely its relationship with Boeing will cease, despite students’ demands. The UW student government approved a resolution last week calling for the university to meet the protesters’ demands and divest from Israel and Boeing.

“Every day the encampment remains, the security concerns escalate and become more serious — for our UW community and for the people in the encampment itself,” the UW administration Friday statement said.

Last week, protesters at The Evergreen State College in Olympia agreed to remove their week-old encampment after striking a deal with administrators that includes the school publicly urging a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and exploring divestment from companies that profit from “the occupation of Palestinian territories.”