The Trump administration has initiated an investigation into the anti-Israel demonstration that took place at the University of Washington on Monday. During the protest, students occupied an engineering building and ignited two dumpsters before police, dressed in riot gear, intervened and detained 30 individuals.
The Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, established by President Donald Trump in February, is examining the “eruption of anti-Semitic harassment and violence” that occurred on the Seattle campus. The task force acknowledged the university’s prompt response and its forcefully worded condemnation of the protestors’ actions.
The task force emphasized that the university needs to implement further measures to prevent future violence and ensure Jewish students have a secure and conducive educational atmosphere. It expects the University of Washington to undertake enforcement actions and implement policy changes to avoid a recurrence of the disorderly events.
The Trump administration has announced it is investigating the anti-Israel protest at the University of Washington Monday where students occupied an engineering building and set two dumpsters on fire before police in riot gear moved in and arrested 30 people. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty, left, x/@choeshow, right.)
She also denounced the group’s statement celebrating the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.
“The university will not be intimidated by this sort of horrific and destructive behavior and will not engage in dialogue with any group using or condoning such destructive tactics,” Cauce said in a statement. “We will continue our actions to oppose antisemitism, racism and all forms of biases so that ALL our students, faculty, staff and visitors can feel safe and welcome on our campuses.”
The task force is now investigating more than 60 universities for reportedly failing to address antisemitism on campus. As a result of these investigations, seven institutions — Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Northwestern, Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania — have already had their funding reduced.
Harvard University is facing the suspension of over $2 billion in federal grants for its handling of on-campus protests. (Getty Images | iStock)
“No institution that tolerates violence, harassment, or the open intimidation of Jewish students should expect to receive billions in taxpayer support,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement. “This isn’t about politics—it’s about whether a federally funded university is upholding the law, protecting civil rights, and fostering a safe environment for all students.”
After occupying the building on Monday, the protesters erected a banner reading “Sha’ban Al-Dalou Building,” symbolically renaming it after a 19-year-old Palestinian man from Gaza who was killed during the bombing of the Al-Aqsa Hospital on Oct. 14, 2024. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center embedded in the facility.
The group is planning another protest on Thursday at 1 p.m. local time in front of Gerberding Hall on the campus in support of those arrested.
