Authorities arrested more than 30 individuals Monday night after left-wing extremists, including Antifa members and a public defender, seized the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington to protest Israel and its military campaign against Hamas. Protesters, many masked and dressed in black, stormed the building, barricaded entrances, and set fires, prompting a multi-agency police operation to restore order.
Among those taken into custody were Sam Sueoka, a King County public defender with ties to prior anti-Israel protests, and Tayler Christine Hart, a nurse at Harborview Medical Center. Jail records show all were charged with criminal trespassing, with bail set at $1,000. Most have since been released.
The building occupation began around 5:30 p.m., when protesters hung a banner honoring a Gaza teenager killed in an Israeli airstrike and renamed the facility in his memory. The demonstrators, affiliated with the suspended student group “Super UW,” demanded that the university sever ties with Boeing over its defense contracts with Israel.
Outside the building, Antifa-aligned agitators in makeshift riot gear and shields blocked roads, set fires using dumpsters and debris, and attempted to prevent law enforcement from intervening. Seattle Police, the Washington State Patrol, and UW Police coordinated a response, using riot control tactics to breach the building and arrest the trespassers.
University of Washington President Ana Marie Cauce condemned the occupation in strong terms, labeling it “dangerous, violent, and illegal.” She affirmed that UW would not negotiate with groups using such tactics and promised disciplinary action. “We will continue our actions to oppose antisemitism, racism, and all forms of bias so that ALL our students, faculty, staff, and visitors can feel safe and welcome,” she said.
Despite claiming to represent student interests, it remains unclear how many of those arrested were actual UW students versus outside agitators. King County jail officials are still working to confirm identities.
UW previously faced national criticism for allowing a pro-Gaza encampment to flourish earlier in 2024. Though President Cauce initially capitulated, the university has since implemented anti-antisemitism policies following pressure from the Trump administration, which has warned of cutting federal funding over anti-Israel activities on campus.
