The University of Pennsylvania confirmed on Friday it called the Philadelphia Police Department to disperse the anti-Israel encampment constructed on its campus, declaring it a threat to public safety for students.
Signed by Interim President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson, and Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, the announcement confirming the end of the encampment highlighted threats allegedly posed by the encampment to normal university operations, including commencement for graduating students.
“Our community has been under threat and our campus disrupted for too long,” the university explained on its website, declaring that “[p]assion for a cause cannot supersede the safety and operations of our University.”
The university confirmed it “took action” on Friday, confirming Philadelphia law enforcement was asked by the university t0 dismantle the anti-Israel encampment.
“This is an unfortunate but necessary step to prevent violence, restore operations, and return our campus to our community,” the university explained.
The school administrators claimed the anti-Israel demonstrators “repeatedly to disband the encampment, to produce identification, to stop threatening, loud, and discriminatory speech and behavior, and to comply with instructions from Penn administrators and Public Safety.”
Rather than complying, the institution claimed, “they called for others to join them in escalating their disruptions and expanding their encampment, necessitating that we take action to protect the safety and rights of everyone in our community.”
The university confirmed “We could not allow further disruption of our academic mission. We could not allow students to be prevented from accessing study spaces and resources, attending final exams, or participating in Commencement ceremonies, which for many did not happen during the pandemic”
Despite the university’s statement, signed by three administrators, video appears to show multiple faculty members working with protesters to defy police or being led away by authorities.
Video posted to the social media platform X by The Daily Pennsylvanian shows one protestor claiming, “I’m a professor at the university, and I am asking, am I under arrest?”
A faculty member is led away by police at the protest at 34th and Walnut streets.
📹: @diamywang
LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/rnWwNgSEUl pic.twitter.com/KRHeUUdy9M
— The Daily Pennsylvanian (@dailypenn) May 10, 2024
Another video features multiple individuals, identified as faculty members at Penn, who formed a human chain to block a police vehicle from the university campus.
Faculty at Penn try to block a police van this morning:pic.twitter.com/toUs7xFc0w
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) May 10, 2024
Other video shows police handcuffed and carried those who refused to leave the encampment when placed under arrest.
WATCH: Penn protestors being cuffed and carried out one by one. pic.twitter.com/JNcNehsZO0
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) May 10, 2024
The encampment was cleared after Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined Republican calls to clear the anti-Israel protestors from the area.
“Every university has a responsibility — both a moral responsibility and a legal responsibility — to keep their students safe and free from discrimination,” Shapiro reportedly said.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick previously told The Pennsylvania Daily Star that he would push senators to “revisit” tax breaks and federal funding for schools that allowed antisemitic protests or anti-Israel encampments.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “University of Pennsylvania Protester Arrested” by Steve Keeley.
