The University of Washington has become the latest battleground in a nationwide series of pro-Palestinian protests as students there have pitched tents and established an encampment on the campus quad. In a movement spreading across college campuses, students at UW demand that the institution cut ties with companies like Boeing that contribute to the conflict in Gaza through their defense work.

Among the shouts and chants for liberation, Mathieu Chabaud, a member of the Progressive Student Union at UW, added fuel to the fire, stating, "When it comes to the University of Washington, they're deeply tied with that," referring to the university's investments and partnerships which protesters claim support military actions in the Gaza region, according to an interview with KING5. Furthermore, the group has articulated a demand for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

Meanwhile, at other universities nationwide, the stakes have risen with tensions and arrests. Columbia University recently made headlines by refusing to acquiesce to student protesters' demands for divestment, and Virginia Tech witnessed dozens of protester arrests, according to reports from KATU. This growing campus activism reflects the broader, contentious debate regarding the Middle East, seen in the microcosm of educational institutions.