‘Who pays for that?’: Gee, Ursula back UW’s push to hold protesters accountable for damage

The University of Washington (UW) is considering tougher rules for campus protests that would allow the school to discipline students not just for their own conduct but for property damage caused by other protesters at the same demonstration.

The revisions follow a takeover of UW’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in May 2025, which the university said caused roughly $1 million in damage. Police arrested more than 30 people, but no one was charged with causing any destruction. The UW Board of Regents is scheduled to vote Sept. 9.

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, discussed the proposal, with both firmly supporting the university’s right to hold demonstrators accountable for destruction.

“A million dollars. Who pays for that?” Gee said. “If you got something you want to protest, by all means get out there, protest, let your voice be heard. Please, please do. I am not for holding someone back from going out and letting their voice be heard, but for letting your voice be heard and damaging property …

“‘Listen, hey, we heard what you said, but just so you know, there’s an invoice,'” he continued. “‘You just caused about $10,000 of damage. Love what you had to say, though. We listened to that. But there’s an invoice for $10,000.'”

Under the proposed changes to UW’s Student Conduct Code, students who cover their faces or refuse to identify themselves to university officials during protests could also face disciplinary action.

Ursula says protests are protected, destruction is not

Ursula said she and Gee support the right to demonstrate but drew a hard line at property damage.

“We’re big believers in the right to demonstrate, and the freedom of speech, but that right does not include you trashing a building, or taking it over and causing a million dollars in damage,” Ursula said. “That was ludicrous. And sadly, actions have consequences. The UW is saying, well, these are the consequences.

“The proposed rules don’t stop you from protesting,” she continued. “They’re meant to stop people from using protest as cover to behave like a destructive punk.”

Gee acknowledges the other side, then pivots back

Gee said he understands that some people will view the new rules as an attempt to discourage protest entirely, and he acknowledged that concern has historical basis.

“I’m sure that there are people that don’t want people to protest,” Gee said. “There are people who don’t want people to exercise their rights, and sometimes they might try to do something to discourage that. We know that to be true. But this is just a common-sense thing.”

The proposed changes were filed with the Washington State Register on July 20. If approved, they would also allow outside contractors to serve as appeals officers in misconduct hearings.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.