Several Northwestern University buildings were vandalized with violent anti-Israel slogans on Monday morning, Northwestern president Michael Schill said in a statement. The defacement occurred as the federal government has sought to push academic institutions, including Northwestern, to adopt new policies to address campus antisemitism and radicalism.
Anonymous submission from Northwestern University:SOMETIMES HISTORY NEEDS A PUSH$790 million in federal funding budgets were cut by the Trump administration. This is a direct consequence of antisemitism investigations at over 60 universities across the country, Northwestern… pic.twitter.com/NExBSy4mf1
— Unity of Fields (@unityoffields) April 14, 2025
In photographs published by Unity of Fields, allegedly from an anonymous group, the name "Kresge Centennial" was crossed out with red paint to rename the hall "Death to Israel."
"Intifada now!" was scrawled at the foot of stairs on the Evanston campus. Other buildings were splashed with red paint.
The vandals told Unity of Fields that the act was in response to the President Donald Trump administration's campaign against antisemitism at universities and reports that millions in federal funding for Northwestern had been frozen. The vandals denied that the federal crackdown was concerned about antisemitism, and was actually about "the financial interests of the University, the Zionist entity and the Trump-Biden administrations which all cohere under the banner of Zionist imperialism," and their attempt to hide their fear of " the inevitable victory of the Palestinian Liberation struggle."
The freezing of funds should push activists to further escalate and read the manifesto, explaining that "history calls on us to respond with total upheaval."
Schill decried the vandalism as antisemitic, made all the more "despicable" since they occurred during Passover.
"Antisemitic acts cannot and will not be tolerated at Northwestern, nor will vandalism or other violations of our policies on displays, demonstrations or conduct," said Schill.
Schill warned that the university was utilizing camera footage, forensics, and other methods to identify the vandals and that if they were Northwestern students, they would be immediately suspended and face full disciplinary proceedings. The university president also threatened criminal charges against the activists.
Schill noted that the university's policies on antisemitism had been made clear with its March 31 progress report on efforts to combat antisemitism. Northwestern explained that it had adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and provided antisemitism training to students, faculty, and staff. The university introduced new policies regarding discrimination, intimidation, and harassment, as well as new policies on protests. The policies would require the removal of masks when requested by authorities and the banning of erecting tents and other unauthorized structures.
"Hours before this vandalism took place, I hosted a seder in my home in celebration of Passover, at which we discussed that amid the many challenges we face as a University and as a society, there is optimism and hope for our days ahead," said Schill. "That remains true despite the actions of a few who work to erode that hope."
Northwestern Hillel stated in an Instagram story that it was deeply troubled by the vandalism, and would be available to students if they needed aid.
"Antisemitism and hate have no place on our campus," said Hillel.
The funding-related vandalism came after Northwestern was informed on Thursday by media reports that the federal government planned to freeze funding, though it had not received a notification from the government about the move. Schill and other Northwestern officers explained that they had received more than 100 stop work orders this week for projects funded by the government.
"These developments are deeply disturbing. They impact the critical research we perform every day, the lives of those who do it and those who benefit from it. They also cut to the core of what makes Northwestern one of the world’s greatest universities," the Northwestern leadership said in a Thursday statement.