THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024
VOL. CXL
NO. 15
Penn Sweeps Encampment
ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Police in riot gear arrest 33 protesters, including Penn students, at Gaza Solidarity Encampment The arrests came nearly two weeks after pro-Palestinian activists pitched approximately 40 tents on College Green KATIE BARTLETT, ELLA SOHN, DIAMY WANG, ELEA CASTIGLIONE, EMILY SCOLNICK, ETHAN YOUNG, AND JASMINE NI The Daily Pennsylvanian News Staff
Penn Police officers in riot gear, with the assistance of Philadelphia Police, arrested 33 individuals at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at around 6 a.m. on May 10. The arrests and clearing of tents took place on the 16th day of the encampment, which began on the afternoon of April 25. Up to 40 tents took up one square of College Green until May 7, when at least eight tents were moved over as the encampment expanded east of the Ben Franklin statue. Penn Police officers completed arrests after about an hour, including by moving several individuals out of their tents. Nine Penn students were among those arrested, according to a University spokesperson. Police entered the encampment shortly after 6 a.m., closing off Locust Walk and moving barricades to enter an area where around thirty protesters, including Penn students, linked arms and surrounded the Ben Franklin statue on College Green. Officers served papers to the protesters containing a written warning of trespass, and a police officer repeatedly announced, “Do not resist” over a megaphone. Protesters were removed from the statue one by one and arrested using zip tie handcuffs. Police officers then entered the encampment on both sides, breaking down tents. “PPD, KKK, IOF they’re all the same,” protesters chanted. Organizers sang, “We shall not be moved” as SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM
individuals were escorted away under custody into Philadelphia Police vans. The protesters did not appear to resist arrest as they were put into custody. “At approximately 5:30am this morning, Penn Police, with support from the Philadelphia Police Department, took steps to remove the unauthorized encampment on College Green,” a University spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Protestors were given multiple warnings that they were trespassing and offered the opportunity to voluntarily leave and avoid citation,” the spokesperson wrote. “Those who chose to stay did so knowing that they would be arrested and removed.” The spokesperson added that approximately 33 individuals were arrested “without incident” and cited for defiant trespass. They said that, after searching the encampment, Penn Police found “several long lengths (6-10 feet) of heavy gauge chains, as well as smaller chains with nuts and bolts attached that could be used as weapons.” By 9 a.m., DPS and PPD officials had fully cleared the encampment. The sweep took less than an hour and a half. Around five Penn employees were seen carrying out tents, signs, flags, backpacks, and other belongings from the encampment and loading them into at least two trash trucks parked on Locust Walk, which pulled up immediately after arrests. The belongings were shredded in the truck.
Police officers initially prevented students from entering the College Green area from the direction of 34th and Walnut streets. By 10 a.m., Penn had barricaded a path allowing Penn Card holders to access Van Pelt through the Rosengarten entrance on the ground floor. Six-foot barricades surround College Green on all four sides as of publication. There is a perimeter between Fisher Fine Arts Library and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, as well as a perimeter of barricades blocking off Locust Walk. At least two protesters were sent to the hospital. The fallout of the arrests was swift — with the College Green area closing to the public, the chair of the Faculty Senate resigning as Penn faced criticism from pro-Palestinian professors, and over 150 protesters rallying outside Interim President Larry Jameson’s house. At least four demonstrators briefly entered the gates of the residence, and at least one individual knocked on the door of the house. Several protesters who were arrested also alleged misconduct from police officers. While being arrested, multiple protesters shouted that their handcuffs were secured too tightly and they were losing feeling in their fingers, and a Penn student who was arrested alleged that her hair was pulled and that she was kneed in the face by an officer. Arrested organizers were taken to a Philadelphia Police station, where all 33 people arrested were given code
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INSIDE
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Protesters enter gates of Penn president’s house during march against encampment sweep
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Faculty Senate chair suddenly resigns, citing Penn response to encampment
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Jameson defends arrests of Gaza Solidarity Encampment members, announces College Green closure
violation notices, not criminal charges, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The arrested protesters were released shortly after being detained. The arrests came after Penn “requested general assistance” from the City of Philadelphia on May 1, according to a press release from 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer, and City Solicitor Renee Garcia. Penn Police spent three days this week receiving Civil Disorder Training from Philadelphia Police as they prepared for an event where negotiations failed, officials said. City officials added they were “thankful” that the police’s action in clearing the encampment “occurred without violence.” “From [May 1] on, we were clear throughout that process that Philadelphia Police would provide backup assistance if arrests were made, or if the situation became dangerous or violent,” the statement read. “We were also clear that we expected Penn to explore every option to See ARRESTS, page 2 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640