Many students throughout Washington have been protesting the war in the Middle East between Palestine and Israel. A dueling debate over the war took center stage at the University of Washington on Sunday, May 12th, 2024.
An encampment on the UW campus, called Popular University for Gaza, includes more than 100 tents for Pro-Palestine. The university asked protesters last week to remove their tents, saying its response to calls for change would “not be based on an encampment.” Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Washington
say they will not disband their encampment unless the school cuts ties with Boeing, divests from Israel, and ends alleged repression of pro-Palestinian students and faculty. More than 500 pro-Israel counterprotesters organized a non-denominational church on campus as well, gathering on Red Square and around the perimeter of the fortified encampment. Their counter-protest, United for Israel, sent the message, “[We] would like the protesters to open their minds to understand why what they’re doing is hurtful,” stated Weiss – one of the student protesters for Pro-Israel. Weiss said he is offended by the message of those in the encampment, and yet pro-Palestinian protesters said they see it differently. ¨Anti-Semitism is not the same thing as anti-Zionism,¨ said Juliette Majid, a student protester in support of the Palestinians. ¨Anti-Zionism is standing against the apartheid state that Israel is inflicting upon the Palestinian people. It is about standing against the genocide.” Conversely, Weiss said, ¨I do think that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Itś anti-Semitism.”
The debate currently continues without any resolution at any time soon. In the meantime, the student protests continue.
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Washington) states students can express their political views at school. According to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 5 of the Washington Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press to all people, including students.
This includes:
- wearing buttons, badges, armbands, or shirts with messages • speaking up in class or other school settings about your views • posting notices on school bulletin boards or distributing petitions
- handing out other printed materials, such as leaflets
- writing in public school newspapers and yearbooks, or unofficial publications (like student-led newspapers).
(Picture of a student holding a sign supporting the right to protest.)
Sources:
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/05/15/uw-student-protesters-encampment refuse-to-leave
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/pro-israel-counterprotest-marches-uw encampment/281-8ee30a39-cbba-4eed-a28e-ad60674154cc
https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/fires-faq-student-protests-campus Student Political Speech, Protest, and Walkouts
