An Israeli-American student at Seattle Central College is asking the district to probe whether student clubs took part in planning an Oct. 7 anti-Israel protest on campus that she thinks had ties to a U.S.-designated terror organization.
The student, who shared correspondence with the Seattle Colleges District with JNS, alleges that the Oct. 7 protest had connections to Samidoun, a U.S.-designated terror organization.
The protest, intended as a student march to Cal Anderson Park, ended up at Seattle Central College campus instead. Protesters changed “long live Oct. 7” and “take another soldier out,” and they vandalized buildings on campus, the school said. Protesters also vandalized the park and nearby businesses with anti-Israel graffiti.
Adam Russel, director of marketing and communications at Seattle Central College, told JNS that the school “did not organize, sponsor or otherwise participate in the event.”
“Individuals gathered independently in a public space outside our campus,” he said. “Graffiti on college buildings was removed by the following day.”
JNS asked if the public school was investigating whether any recognized student organizations took part in the protest.
“Any person who may have participated did so in their individual capacity in a public space and were not representing Seattle Central College or any affiliated student group,” Russel said.
In an Oct. 8 email to the district’s compliance office, the student wrote that she was told nobody from the school would meet with her before the protest because an outside group organized the event.
“I understand that the official organizers were outsiders, but that does not answer my questions about posters displayed on campus, any student or college involvement or the rules governing outside organizations’ use of college property,” she wrote.
The student cited a report from HonestReporting, a watchdog, which said that Nidal Seattle, which organized the protest, is a branch of the Samidoun network and part of a group called Masar Badil.
The United States has designated Masar Badil as a terrorist organization, as a front for Samidoun.
“I expect concerns raised by Jewish and Israeli community members to receive the same serious consideration as those of any other community,” the student wrote.
She also requested a meeting with the district.
Lorine Hill, director of compliance for Seattle Colleges, told JNS that an administrator contacted the student to arrange a meeting.
