Treasury sanctions Masar Badil but campus affiliate SUPER-UW continues violent activism

The U.S. Treasury Department’s sanction of Masar Badil, identified as part of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, marks a federal effort to disrupt terrorist financing, but the order did not name any U.S. affiliates. Those affiliates include campus networks in Minnesota, Oregon and Washington state, most prominently Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at the University of Washington, known as SUPER-UW.

Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed UW alumnus Hayim Katsman, SUPER-UW progressed from celebratory statements to violent actions, culminating in a May 2025 occupation of the university’s new engineering building that caused roughly $1 million in damage and prompted the university to sever official ties. Despite the disassociation, the group continues to brand itself with the UW label on social media and took part in a K-12 walkout.

In August, SUPER-UW posted threats against Ira Kohler, an Oct. 7 first-responder, using Hamas-style symbols and urging protests, forcing the synagogue to relocate the event. The network’s links extend to Masar Badil executive Bissan Barghouti and its youth wing Tariq El-Tahrir, whose members were arrested for the building occupation. Researchers warn that such campus-based extremist activity blurs the line between protest and violence, demanding heightened vigilance.