Police arrested 33 anti-Israel protesters during the dismantling of an unauthorized encampment on the University of Pennsylvania's Philadelphia campus on Friday.
The University of Pennsylvania announced on Friday that 33 individuals were arrested during the removal of an anti-Israel encampment on the university's Philadelphia campus.
According to a university spokesperson, Penn Police, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, initiated the removal process at approximately 5:30 AM. Protesters were reportedly given multiple warnings regarding their trespassing status and offered the opportunity to leave voluntarily to avoid citation.
However, those who remained were informed that their refusal to comply would result in their arrest for defiant trespass. Subsequently, approximately 33 protesters were taken into custody without incident.
In a joint statement, Interim UPenn President J. Larry Jameson and other top university officials explained that the encampment's removal was deemed necessary to mitigate potential violence, restore normal campus operations, and return the campus to the university community.
The officials stated that the university had engaged in almost two weeks of dialogue with the protesters, who were notified on April 26th of their violation of Penn's policies. However, these discussions were met with unreasonable demands and a concerning escalation of the encampment's activities.
"Our community has been under threat and our campus disrupted for too long. Passion for a cause cannot supersede the safety and operations of our University," the administrators emphasized.
They expressed gratitude to the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department for their support in the encampment's removal.
University officials indicated that access to the College Green area where the encampment was situated would be restricted until further notice.
According to the university, the protesters repeatedly refused to disband the encampment, produce identification, cease threatening and discriminatory speech and behavior, or adhere to instructions from Penn administrators and Public Safety personnel.
University of Pennsylvania associate professor Dagmawi Woubshet expressed disappointment over the encampment's dismantling, terming it "a sad day." He maintained that the students were exercising their First Amendment right to free speech in support of Gaza and Palestine and against the alleged genocide in Gaza.
