Students establish Popular University for Gaza

Seattle

Since April 29, students at the University of Washington in Seattle have set up a 100-tent encampment on the central campus. Their “Popular University for Gaza” camp is inspired by the heroic struggle of the Columbia University students and others.

The camp was started by the student coalition United Front for Palestinian Liberation, composed of Palestinians and other anti-imperialist protest groups. The students regularly engage with chants, speeches, political education talks, dancing and music, as well as organizing the logistics of food donations and other supplies.

The camp has three demands: Divest from Israel, cut ties with Boeing and end all anti-Palestinian oppression.

On May 12, Pursuit NW, a pro-imperialist Zionist group, threatened to stage a march and “cut a buzz-saw” through the Popular University camp. With a day’s notice, the camp was able to stop the Zionist threat. Hundreds of militant camp defenders staged a rally at the entrance and Pursuit NW members were prevented from entering and had to march somewhere else.