A coalition of student organizations rallied outside Dempsey Hall on the afternoon of March 12, calling on the University of Washington (UW) to take immediate action on a series of demands. The protest, which occurred just ahead of the UW Board of Regents’ (BOR) Governance Committee meeting, sought to draw attention to issues including the divestment from Israel and associated companies, decarbonizing the campus by 95% by 2035, and ending the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on campus.
The demonstration, which began at 1:15 p.m., was organized by groups such as Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Seattle Against War, the Regional Council of Carpenters, and AFSCME Council 28. As the meeting began at 2 p.m., protesters moved inside and took seats in the front rows of Anthony’s Forum in Dempsey Hall, holding signs with messages such as “Divest from Israel,” “Divest from ICE,” and “People > Profit.”
“We hope that the Board of Regents will hear us and recognize our dissatisfaction with their repeated delays in addressing the divestment from Israeli apartheid and war,” said Peyton L., an SDS organizer.
Though the meeting continued with demonstrators present, tensions escalated when the BOR transitioned to an executive session, requiring members of the public to leave. The protesters then gathered outside Dempsey Hall for a 3 p.m. rally, led by a coalition of student organizations including SUPER UW, UAW 4121, Institutional Climate Action UW, MESAA from UW Tacoma, Green Wave UW, Anakbayan, UW Law Students for Palestinian Liberation, and RESIST UW.
As the rally gained momentum, a large police presence emerged, and UWPD Chief Craig Wilson intervened, seizing the microphone from a rally speaker, which prompted a tense confrontation. Organizers responded by chanting, “We demand hands off our students, hands off our education, our research, and people’s struggles.” Despite the heightened tension, no arrests or detentions were made.
The protest saw significant participation from students across both the Seattle and Tacoma campuses, with many expressing frustration over the university’s response. “BOR made it so that we all had to come together,” said representatives from MESAA, who requested to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “This is the culmination of months of work.”
As the BOR continued its discussions, the meeting was periodically interrupted by chants from the protesters, with BOR Chair Blaine Tamaki issuing multiple warnings about potential law enforcement removal if disruptions continued.
The Board of Regents ultimately voted 8-2-1 against establishing an Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing (ACSRI), effectively stalling the student-led divestment proposal. The decision was met with chants of “shame on you” as students expressed their disappointment.
Noah Weight, a member of SUPER UW, criticized the Board’s decision, asserting that real change can only be achieved by building collective power that outmatches the university’s. “As we saw today, despite all three UW campuses—Bothell, Tacoma, and Seattle—voting in support of divestment from Israel, the Board of Regents has refused to even establish the ACSRI committee,” Weight said in a statement to The Daily.
Outside, demonstrators left their mark on the sidewalk with spray-painted messages reading “UW: cut ties with Boeing” and “Blood on UW’s hands.” Zoe W., a fourth-year student and member of Green Wave UW, voiced her frustration: “It’s hard to go to a school where you feel that your voice is not recognized.”
While the Board of Regents’ vote did not align with their demands, protest organizers pledged to continue advocating for change, reaffirming their commitment to sustained activism. “We are here because we believe the University of Washington has consistently chosen profit and power over students and workers,” said Weight.
