WWU Palestinian protest camp emerges after administration rejects students’ demands
Classes continued normally Wednesday at Western Washington University, the second day of a protest seeking an Israeli cease-fire in its war against Hamas and demanding that WWU cut ties with corporations that do business with the Jewish state.
Some 50 to 60 protesters, including WWU students and others, pitched about 20 tents in the predawn hours Tuesday on the lawn between the Old Main administration building and Viking Union, according to a statement from the university.
Protest organizers include the school’s Arab Student Association and the Jewish Voice for Peace, an “anti-Zionist” group that advocates for Palestinian sovereignty. They’re supported by several other Bellingham organizations, including Bellingham Occupied Protest and the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, according to posts on social media.
The protest site was quiet Wednesday morning as participants ate muffins for breakfast, read and chatted among themselves. Lookouts were posted and a sign warned that campus police might be nearby as students walked past the tent city on their way to class. Another sign called for an end to the “genocide” in Gaza.
“The encampment is peaceful, and the university’s student services team will continue to regularly meet with encampment organizers and provide them with information about safely demonstrating on campus and to support their well-being,” states an announcement on the WWU website. Peaceful protests and demonstrations are a part of student development and civic engagement. As a public institution, we encourage a safe and respectful environment for dialogue, understanding diverse perspectives and fostering empathy.”
Several college and university campuses across the U.S. have seen similar protest encampments in recent weeks as the war in Gaza continues, sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 civilians in Israel, including 45 Americans.
An estimated 35,000 Gazans, including many women and children, have been killed in the fighting. Hamas — which the U.S. and other nations classify as a terrorist organization — still holds more than 100 hostages.
Protesters aren’t asking Hamas to stop fighting or release the hostages, according to demands that were posted on social media. The tent camp started after WWU President Sabah Randhawa rejected that series of demands, according to their social media.
Among their demands are:
▪ An apology from the WWU administration for criticizing some of their previous protest slogans.
▪ Additional university support for the planned debut of an Ethnic Studies Department by funding additional faculty positions.
▪ An emergency board of trustees meeting to discuss their demands.
When talks regarding the students’ demands collapsed, the protest camp began, the students said.
The camp started on Israeli Independence Day and the second day of a student-led Israel Apartheid Week at WWU, which features daily teach-ins and other events about the Palestinian struggle. Major Jewish organizations have criticized such events as disingenuous and a threat to the Jewish state.
