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Nearly three dozen anti-Israel protesters who allegedly stormed and destroyed a science building at the University of Washington are finally facing charges — but they were only slapped with misdemeanor trespassing despite causing $1 million in damages.The charges were filed in Kings County on Tuesday, more than 300 days after the group seized the school’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, where they blocked access to the facility and set two dumpster fires, KOMO reported.The decision not to seek felony charges against any of the 33 protesters sparked outrage among UW’s Jewish community.The UW Jewish Alumni posted on social media it was “very disappointing that there are no charges and no requirement for restitution for a MILLION DOLLARS in vandalism to university property.“But at least their names and faces are now known to any potential employers.Some accountability has finally arrived,” the group added.Felony charges connected to the damage in the building were not filed because authorities did not have the evidence, prosecutors said.
“I think that’s frustrating for the entire community to have something damaged like that, have a significant dollar amount and not be able to file charges and hold somebody accountable for that,” Dan Clark, the Chief Deputy of the Criminal Division of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told KOMO.“If we had the evidence to establish that, we absolutely would have filed it.But at the end of the day, if you don’t have the evidence, you can’t make that filing decision.”Of the 33 arrested, UW spokesperson Victor Balta confirmed that 23 were students.
Those students have nearly completed their year-long suspension and the misdemeanor charges will not impact their return, he said.“We are pleased to see criminal charges filed with the court related to the occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building,” he said.“This is an important step in ensuring accountability for those who ...