Protesters, school administration reach deal to clear encampment in University of Washington
May 18, 2024
San Francisco [US], May 18: An encampment at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, U.S. state of Washington, will be shut down after an agreement was reached between protesters and the university administration, according to a news release by the protesters on Friday.
The protesters agreed to clear the encampment by 3 p.m. Monday and not reestablish it, said the news release by the organizers of the encampment, the "Popular University for Gaza Liberated Zone."
Under the agreement, administrators agreed to fund at least 20 scholarships for Palestinian students displaced from Gaza, and the university will help faculty pursue academic connections with Palestinian universities, it added.
The organizers also said the university will increase transparency about the school's investments to companies such as Boeing, major weapons manufacturers, or companies in Israel.
Zho Ragen, a spokesperson for the encampment, said their representatives met with university officials, including President Ana Mari Cauce, Friday morning for the agreement.
Ragen said protesters were planning to use other tactics in the future to pressure UW officials to meet their demands, such as having the university cut financial and academic ties with Israel.
"We have a lot of history to draw from, and we have a long future to look forward to in terms of struggling for liberation," Ragen was quoted as saying in a report by the Seattle Times.
Source: Xinhua
