The University of Washington president’s property was vandalized overnight, the university said Thursday.
University spokesperson Victor Balta said in an email Thursday evening that “several masked perpetrators” damaged president Ana Mari Cauce’s home and car. Balta said Cauce’s car tires were slashed and “pro-Hamas symbols” were painted on her home and car.
“Free Palestine” and “blood on your hands” appeared to be spray painted on her property, the most recent escalation after UW administrators reached a contentious agreement with encampment protesters in May.
“Making threats against a public official in an attempt to intimidate them is a crime,” Balta said in the statement.
A video circulating on Instagram Thursday, appearing to be at Cauce’s home, showed people spray painting a house and car.
The video showed people dressed in black spraying a front porch with red paint, drawing red inverted triangles on the home and car, and painting “Ana Mari is complicit in genocide” on the vehicle in the driveway. Inverted red triangles have become a controversial symbol associated with Hamas and used at several protests — to many representing resistance and reminiscent of the red triangle on the Palestinian flag. The edited video included the words “you will not know peace until you meet the demands of our movement.”
The Instagram post claimed the video was received as an anonymous submission.
Balta said multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating the vandalism and added the crime “will not influence University policy.”
An X account named “UWJewishAlumni” posted photos Thursday of a white vehicle covered in paint, including the words “ANA MARIE — BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.”
Despite the UW encampment dismantling about six months ago after administration reached an agreement with protesters, tensions have remained high on campus.
The encampment came down after the university committed to funding scholarships for Palestinian students and being more transparent about investment. UW refused to meet demands to cut ties with Boeing or end study abroad in Israel. The encampment had lasted just over two weeks.
Protesters have repeatedly pointed to Boeing’s longstanding relationship with Israel and arms sales to the Israeli government.
A Board of Regents public meeting in September was abruptly ended after activists protested the postponement of a discussion regarding divestment and a subsequent meeting was held virtually, during which several faculty members voiced their concerns about rising antisemitism and silencing Jewish voices.
In a statement Thursday evening, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle president Solly Kane said the vandalism was hateful and disturbing.
“When vandalism of property is celebrated and the graffitiing of symbols with ties to known US designated terrorist organizations are glorified as activism, the moral compass of society needs to be reset,” Kane wrote.
Cauce announced in June she will retire next year after a decade leading the university.
