UW president's home, car vandalized with pro-Palestinian and Hamas threats

The private residence of the president of the University of Washington was vandalized Wednesday night by a group of masked individuals who made pro-Palestinian and Hamas threats against the university leader.

University spokesperson Victor Balta said in an email Thursday evening that "several masked perpetrators" damaged President Ana Mari Cauce's home and car.

Balta said Cauce's car tires were slashed, and "pro-Hamas symbols" were painted on her home and car.

"Free Palestine" and "blood on your hands" were allegedly spray painted on her property, the most recent escalation after UW administrators reached an agreement with encampment protesters in May.

Seattle police referenced a social media post posted by the group of people who filmed themselves as they vandalized Cauce's home.

The post threatened their "movements will continue to escalate until the demands for cutting ties with war-profiteer Boeing and divestment from Zionism are met."

The video showed people dressed in black spraying a front porch with red paint, drawing red inverted triangles on the home and car, and painting "Ana Mari is complicit in genocide" on the vehicle in the driveway.

The taken by the group of masked people.

The despicable vandalism of President Cauce's home and car is a sickening extension of the antisemitic rhetoric, vandalism, and violence that has engulfed UW. This heinous act went beyond the damage we have come to expect from anti-Israel protesters on campus. The intent clearly was to intimidate and threaten President Cauce. Knowing her, I can say with confidence that the vandals have failed miserably. The perpetrators must be held accountable and a message must be sent that there will be zero tolerance for acts of hate and antisemitism at UW and in our community.

Over the summer, protesters called on the university to cut ties with Boeing and divest from Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza.

A pro-Palestinian encampment took over The Quad on campus. Some protests and counter-protests included pro-Israeli supporters.

Balta said multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating the vandalism and added that the crime "will not influence University policy."

Cauce that she would retire next year after leading the university for a decade.