‘Blood on your hands:’ UW president Cauce’s home, car vandalized

University of Washington (UW) President Ana Marie Cauce’s home and car were vandalized and damaged Wednesday night, a spokesman confirmed to MyNorthwest Thursday afternoon.

“Several masked perpetrators did significant damage to President Cauce’s home and car, including slashing her car’s tires and painting pro-Hamas symbols,” university official Victor Balta reported in his emailed statement.

Balta went on to note that making threats against a public official like Cauce with the intent to intimidate is a crime. He noted multiple law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation “due to the nature of the threats in the vandalism and in the perpetrators’ social media posts claiming credit.”

All available resources will be used to identify and bring charges against the people responsible for the crimes, Balta’s statement reads.

Balta also made it clear that this crime and similar recent offenses won’t influence the policy of the university.

A social media post the UW Jewish Alumni published helped bring the crimes to light Thursday.

BREAKING: Pres Cauce’s home was vandalized last night with vile graffiti and posted on Insta with threatening language: “You will not know peace until you meet the demands of our movement”

We unequivocally condemn this despicable behavior, and look to @SeattlePD and incoming AG… pic.twitter.com/vewG2mOIW7

— UW_JewishAlumni (@UW_JewishAlumni) November 14, 2024

As the photos and a video posted to social media illustrated, the president’s home and car were spray painted, with the phrase, “Free Palestine” and the statement, “Ana (Marie) is complicit in genocide.”

The group “@escalate_seattle” on Instagram took credit for the vandalism crimes and members filmed themselves committing those crimes and posted it.

“You will not know peace until you meet the demands of our movement,” a caption attached to the @escalate_seattle video reads.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Escalate “Seattle” (@escalate_seattle)

The caption text attached to the group’s Instagram post goes after Cauce and the university for its relationship with aviation giant Boeing and others related to “zionism” and vowed to go on. The group’s caption also said its  “movement will continue to escalate” until its demands are met.

“Until UW ends their relationship with Boeing and academically and materially divests from zionism, we will continue to apply pressure on (Cauce) and her accomplices, in all aspects of their life,” a portion of the statement reads. “The power of the people far outweighs the power of blood money from Boeing and other arms of US imperialism.”

Encampment at UW in May impacted campus life

During the spring, protesters who set up an an encampment on the Seattle campus also called on the university to cut ties with Boeing and divest from Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza.

The United Front for Palestinian Liberation, leaders of the encampment known as the Popular University for Gaza liberated zone, set up the encampment and it stayed set up for weeks at the Liberal Arts Quadrangle, more commonly known as the Quad.

Previous coverage: Group agrees to disband UW encampment after reaching deal with administration

The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle expressed concern and called on the university to clear the protest and enforce any violations of the student code of conduct.

“Jews hold dearly the right to free speech, and, yet, these criminal actions and hate speech go far beyond free speech and must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” the organization’s leaders wrote. “Actions by members of the encampment traffic in blatant antisemitism and threaten the physical and psychological safety of many Jewish and Israeli campus community members. At some point, the University leadership’s actions — or lack thereof — speak louder than words. Enough is enough.”

Cauce herself has not yet made any public comments about the vandalism, damage or threats.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X and email him here.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.