Union activists, Gaza war protesters rally at WWU; University responds to student demands
Unionized employees at Western Washington University joined forces with students and others who are protesting the war in Gaza for a march and rally Friday that drew an estimated 500 to 600 participants.
Demonstrators assembled near the Wade King Student Recreation Center and marched through campus for a rally at the Performing Arts Center plaza and then to Old Main, where offices for campus administration are located.
Along the way, they chanted slogans such as “Free, free, Palestine!” and “What’s outrageous? Poverty wages!”
Union leaders told their supporters that they want a base hourly wage of $22.12. Some 1,100 members of Western Academic Workers United plan a walkout Tuesday if progress isn’t made on their first contract.
“Nothing. Nothing in America, nothing in the world, has ever been won except when workers came together and fought for it,” union representative Lexy Aydelotte said during the rally.
Other speakers quoted from a list of demands that Gaza war protesters sent to WWU officials regarding university partnerships with businesses, organizations and educational institutions in Israel, among other issues.
“We believe in the necessity of critiquing and holding the state of Israel accountable for its egregious crimes against humanity and willful violations of international law. We vehemently reject the narrative that Judaism and Zionism are one and the same, and we stand firmly in our commitment to the Palestinian liberation movement and to Judaism beyond Zionism,” said a speaker identified only as Jasmine, who refused an interview.
Friday’s protest was being held as WWU-sponsored events marking May as Jewish American Heritage Month were scheduled nearby without apparent incident.
WWU’s Police Department and the Bellingham Police Department were monitoring the demonstration, WWU spokesman Jonathan Higgins said.
“Our Chief of Police Katy Potts confirms that BPD is aware of events on campus and possible impact to areas in their jurisdiction. We have safety- and student-service teams across our campus to ensure the community’s safety and well-being,” Higgins said.
Protest organizers include the school’s Arab Student Association and the Jewish Voice for Peace, an “anti-Zionist” group that advocates for Palestinian sovereignty.
Those groups have also organized a protest camp of about 20 tents and 50 to 60 people the lawn between the Old Main administration building and Viking Union, according to a statement from the university. That group, which is protesting the war in Gaza, said they’ll stay until university officials meet their demands.
WWU response to students
In a message posted online Friday morning, WWU President Sabah Randhawa addressed those demands.
“Again, it is important to recognize the significance of the issues driving the encampment. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is tragic and demands urgent attention. We support the calls from leaders from across the globe for an immediate cease-fire, working towards lasting peace in the region, the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid for Palestinians and all the people of Gaza,” Randhawa said.
Randhawa shared the text of an email that he and Chief Diversity Officer Jacqueline Hughes sent to the protest organizers in response to their demands.
▪ Neither WWU, nor the Foundation for WWU and Alumni, has direct investments in companies on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions list.
▪ We are open to developing a new process for consideration of divestment from companies or industry sectors, and we hope to continue to explore this concept in subsequent meetings with you.
▪ The core mission of WWU as an academic institution is to create and disseminate knowledge through research, teaching and service. Freedom of inquiry and expression, and the free exchange of ideas, are foundational principles of this work and must not be abridged by geopolitical considerations. Along these lines, WWU does not support curtailing students’ experiential learning programs and faculty research projects with private industry, including the Boeing Co.
▪ Western does not have its own agreement with the University of Haifa. It is also important to note that the University of Haifa has the most diverse student body in Israel, with nearly half of the study body comprising Arab students, many of whom are Palestinian.
▪ Western’s Ethnic Studies program is on track to launch this Fall and faculty searches for the program are underway. number of events and teach-ins have also been scheduled on campus to enhance understanding of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and we recognize the value in these exchanges for the broader community and are committed to ensuring that they continue.
▪ Both in our meetings, as well as publicly at a recent Board of Trustees meeting, we have acknowledged that a message to campus last fall related to the Israel-Hamas war may have inadvertently been hurtful or offensive to some students at Western.
▪ We respect the views our community members hold on geopolitical issues. However, as an institution, the university leadership will not take positions on international political matters that do not connect directly with university operations. At the same time, we are committed to raising awareness within the campus community about terms and words that have historical significance and that can be interpreted differently by different individuals within our community.We respect the views our community members hold on geopolitical issues. However, as an institution, the university leadership will not take positions on international political matters that do not connect directly with university operations. At the same time, we are committed to raising awareness within the campus community about terms and words that have historical significance and that can be interpreted differently by different individuals within our community.
