May 14, 2024

Penn Sweeps Encampment

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

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

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

ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Pro-Palestinian protesters enter gates of president’s house during march against encampment sweep

Penn issued a UPennAlert for a “large disruptive crowd” after approximately 150 protesters gathered at Interim President Larry Jameson’s house

ELLA SOHN,

BARTLETT,

KATIE

NEEMA BADDAM, AND EMILY SCOLNICK News Editor, Assignments Editor, Senior Reporter, and Staff Reporter

A group of nearly 150 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through University City on May 10, just hours after Penn Police and Philadelphia Police officers cleared the Gaza Solidarity Encampment from College Green and arrested 33 individuals.

Students and professors, some of whom were involved with the encampment and faced discipline or arrest, criticized the University and Interim President Larry Jameson during remarks throughout the march. Protesters were repeatedly met with Penn and Philadelphia Police — including during a rally outside Jameson’s residence at 38th and Walnut streets, when at least four demonstrators briefly entered the gates of the residence. At least one individual knocked on the door of the house.

The group of protesters initially gathered outside the gates of The Woodlands’ cemetery on Woodland Avenue at around 8 p.m. before marching on streets around Penn’s campus. Along the way, the group stopped in front of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s house for a rally before proceeding down Chestnut Street and ending at the intersection of 33rd and Market streets.

Penn’s Division of Public Safety issued four UPennAlerts to the University community between 9:11 p.m. and 11:06 p.m., warning of a “large demonstration” and then a “large disruptive crowd.” DPS repeatedly updated the march’s progress on its website.

“On Friday evening at approximately 8pm a large demonstration began west of campus,” DPS wrote in a statement on its website. “The group traveled to the 3800 block of Walnut Street in front of the President’s residence. The crowd became disorderly and breached the exterior gate at the President’s House.”

Around eight protesters climbed the gates of Jameson’s house, grabbing hold of the fence and gate surrounding the residence, which they shook until the lock opened, according to DPS. The opening of the gate prompted several demonstrators to enter the yard and deploy smoke bombs, with one protester waving a Palestinian flag.

While Penn Police officers attempted to close the main gate, a protester who had already entered the yard area started to pull the gate back open while waving their arms in attempt for others to enter the property, according to DPS, which added that the gate was eventually secured.

Police officers “regained control” of the area, noting that the “disorderly crowd disbanded” as it reported in an alert at 11:06 p.m., DPS said. The march to Jameson’s house and around University City first began after nearly 40 minutes of chants outside The Woodlands — including “UPenn, UPenn, you can’t hide, you get rich off genocide” and “We want justice, you say how, end the siege on Rafah now.”

“The same ones who arrested us this morning are ones sitting in their cars,” protesters said of the police vehicles in front of the march.

, from FRONT PAGE

resolve this matter peacefully.”

In multiple statements about the encampment prior to the arrests, Jameson had described the encampment as making Penn “less safe.” In a message to the University community on May 10, he defended the sweep and said it was necessary to return the University to a state of normalcy. A group of protesters followed the arrested organizers to the police station, where they led a crowd in several chants criticizing the University. Meanwhile, professors, students, and community members gathered at 34th and Walnut streets, where several faculty members protested against Penn’s dismantling of the encampment.

The protesters included five Penn faculty members who attempted to physically block Philadelphia Police vehicles from leaving and entering campus. Demonstrators remained at the intersection for around three hours and chanted at police officers, who maintained a large presence after the police vans had left.

Eventually, all five faculty members were escorted away from the intersection by police officers. Three of the professors were brought down 34th Street by police officers. The officers did not respond to multiple inquiries shouted by the professors and members of the press about whether the professors were under arrest. They were

At around 9:15 p.m., protesters stopped outside Eisenlohr Hall, the University house where Jameson lives. The Daily Pennsylvanian could not immediately verify if Jameson was home.

Protesters shouted several chants in front of his house, including “Larry, Larry you’re a liar, the students set the world on fire.” Several protesters released red, green, and black smoke as they chanted.

One student, who was placed on a mandatory temporary leave of absence and evicted from her dorm as a result of her involvement with the encampment, described losing PennCard and Penn Dining access and being banned from campus.

“We stand here today in front of the man who let it all happen,” the student added. “President Jameson and Provost [John] Jackson [Jr.] would rather arrest their students, brutalize them, kick them out of their homes, and displace them then answer our calls to stop genocide.”

The student — who is international — also described being given two hours to pack her belongings and move out of her dorm.

“Student Intervention Services gave [me] nowhere to go,” she said.

She ended her speech by adding that she will not stop protesting until Penn “discloses, divests, and defends.”

Penn Medicine professor of clinical radiology Tamim Khaddash, who identified himself as Palestinian, praised student organizers for showing “what is possible” and that “cowardice and complicity are not the only options available to us.”

“To see our students sacrificing their comfort, risking their safety, their grades, their degrees for a greater cause has awakened us all,” he said.

Khaddash cited a letter Jameson sent to the Penn Med community after the 2022 Russian attack on Ukraine — which condemned “all forms of violence and threats to the lives and culture of any group” — as evidence he should be “with the students” advocating for Palestine.

“You are complicit in apartheid, you are complicit in genocide, f**k you Larry,” Khaddash said.

A Temple University student affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine also addressed the protesters, criticizing the University for its role in the war in Gaza.

“You know what creates an unsafe space? A f**king genocide, Larry,” he said. “We’re not leaving.”

He also compared the student protester experience to that of a student in Gaza, pointing out that every university in Gaza has been destroyed over the course of Israel’s war.

Another organizer led the crowd in a “primal scream” for about 30 seconds in front of Jameson’s house — mirroring a practice started by pro-Palestinian organizers at Columbia University. Several protesters shook the fence in front of the house as they screamed.

After the scream, at least four protesters briefly entered

eventually left alone near the Engineering Quad.

Professors of English Chi-ming Yang and Dagmawi Woubshet, two of the professors led away, said they were initially told they were under arrest, but were not placed in zip tie handcuffs and were led away without being formally detained. Two other faculty members were also pushed away by police officers.

Woubshet said after the incident that the day’s events were a “low point at this university.”

The arrests came two weeks after pro-Palestinian activists pitched approximately 40 tents on College Green, beginning a demonstration that they said would continue until their demands of the University were met. The group has demanded that Penn divest from corporations that benefit from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, and Israeli institutions committing “scholasticide.”

Protesters also demanded that Penn defend Palestinian students, including granting amnesty to students involved in pro-Palestinian activism and reinstating Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine. Penn had not directly intervened to disband the encampment despite issuing multiple warnings.

As they continued to host rallies and pro-Palestinian programming, encampment participants had described multiple unsuccessful negotiation meetings with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson as recently as Tuesday, while students were notified of pending disciplinary hearings for violating multiple Penn policies by camping out.

Faculty Senate chair suddenly resigns, citing Penn’s response to pro-Palestinian encampment

Falleti wrote that she no longer feels con dent in her ability to work collaboratively with University administrators after they sent police to arrest students

KATIE BARTLETT AND ETHAN YOUNG News Editor and Staff Reporter

Political science professor Tulia Falleti resigned from her position as Chair of the Faculty Senate on the afternoon of May 10 in response to Penn’s disbandment of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.

In the letter, which was sent to Interim Penn

President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. at 1:34 p.m., Falleti wrote that she is resigning as she is “no longer confident of my ability to work collaboratively with our administration that has sent in the police to arrest its own students, staff, and faculty ….” Falleti was set to leave her position upon the expiration of her term on June 30.

“Professor Falleti has provided invaluable service to the University of Pennsylvania during her time as a Tri-Chair of the Faculty Senate,” remaining tri-chairs Eric Feldman and Vivian Gadsden wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “We regret her resignation and look forward to continuing to work with her in the days ahead.”

A request for comment has been left with a University spokesperson.

the gates of the property holding at least one Palestinian flag and were met by police who forced them out. Police cars with sirens started to pull up to the rally, prompting organizers to order the crowd away from the gates and sidewalks and back onto the street.

The crowd then moved forward towards police cars, repeating multiple chants critical of the Philadelphia Police Department for its alleged ties to Israel.

Between 15 and 20 police vehicles — including at least three vans — followed the march as it proceeded west on Walnut Street, turned on 39th Street, and moved east on Chestnut Street.

Protesters alleged at least two instances of aggressive police behavior as Penn Police and the Philadelphia Police Department responded to the ongoing march.

One protester was allegedly injured during the time that the rally stopped in front of the house. The march paused for several minutes as a medic tended to the protester. A biker leading the march also alleged that a Philadelphia Police Department car nearly hit them “going 30 [miles per hour].”

Several protesters used their bodies to block a police car at the intersection of 33rd and Chestnut streets. In response, the car — and an additional police car parked behind it — turned on loud sirens. The car drove forward, attempting to prompt the protesters to move and making brief physical contact with them.

After a few seconds, the protesters moved out of the car’s path and continued walking.

Throughout the march, students and other pedestrians — many of them filming — stopped on both sides of the sidewalk to watch the protesters pass by.

At 33rd and Market streets, where the march concluded, an organizer told protesters not to engage with any “outside agitators or genocide deniers or [Zionists].”

A student organizer who was arrested Friday morning addressed the crowd, thanking the group for providing support and supplies for the protesters throughout the encampment and denouncing the administration’s response.

“What the administration is trying to do is create a divide, a wedge between the students, the faculty, the staff, members of the University of Pennsylvania, and the good people of Philadelphia,” he said. “They want students to ignore the city, but the city cannot ignore while they’ve continued to gentrify West Philadelphia for decades.”

He went on to contend that the pro-Palestinian movement would be vindicated “just like the movement against war in Vietnam was and the movement against apartheid in South Africa was.”

At about 10:40 p.m., the march concluded and both protesters and police vehicles started to disperse.

“When they destroy, we build,” the student organizer said. “The encampment was the floor, not the ceiling.”

The demonstration remained largely peaceful. One individual with a knife holster entered a seder on April 28, and on May 1, and another individual sprayed tents and signs with an odorous substance which organizers compared to “skunk spray.”

Draped in a keffiyeh on numerous occasions, the Ben Franklin statue was vandalized multiple times — including with graffiti that Jameson labeled as antisemitic in his initial order for the encampment to disband because of legal and policy violations.

Over the course of the encampment, there were several pro-Israeli counter protests — including a significant rally organized by Jewish students which marched to College Green on April 28. However, Penn had avoided the heightened tensions, clashes, police action, and heightened tensions seen at Columbia, the University of California at Los Angeles, and other schools across the country.

Some members of Penn’s Jewish community also expressed opposition to the encampment throughout its existence, citing concerns about Jewish student safety and a desire for peaceful dialogue.

Encampment participants also documented multiple rounds of threats and harassment from counterprotesters, while the Division of Public Safety said it was investigating a video showing participants confronting a Jewish student and shining bright lights in his face. Jameson has cited protesters’ experiences being “spit on, harassed, and threatened.”

“Today, I am heartbroken that my University, the institution where I have taught, carried out my research, and worked in service of our students, staff, and faculty in myriad ways for over twenty years has decided to send in the police to arrest its own students, staff, and faculty,” Falleti wrote.

She also added that she will continue to defend “academic freedom, free speech, and due process” in her position as a standing faculty member.

“I leave my leadership role in the Faculty Senate, with the following unsolicited worlds of advice to our administration, our Trustees, our boards’ advisors, and to my fellow colleagues,” Falleti wrote. “It comes from our students: ‘We commit to assuming the best intentions, granting ourselves and others grace when mistakes are made and approaching conflict with the goal of addressing, repairing, and restoring.’”

Falleti also noted her upbringing in Argentina, adding that engaging in peaceful protests for a variety of causes were “formative political experiences.”

On May 4, Falleti published an op-ed in the DP alleging that the pro-Israel billboard trucks that have been on campus since last semester are part of a “concerted, external political campaign against higher education institutions.”

The trucks were parked at 36th and Walnut streets on the morning of May 3, playing a fourminute video loop of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. This marked the first time the trucks have been seen near campus since the fall semester.

She added that the billboards stand against “academic freedom, against open expression, and, in the case of our University, against a peaceful protest of students, staff, faculty, and local community members.”

The Faculty Senate was established in 1952 as the “representative voice for full-time teaching faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.” The chair is part of the Senate Executive Community, which engages in substantive investigation and consideration of matters of import with the University administration. The SEC plays a role in consulting with senior administrators, reviewing and changing formal policy that fall under Senate responsibility, and initiating consideration and exploration of issues that are “of concern to the SEC membership.”

Feldman, a professor at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law school, is currently the chair-elect of the Senate. It is unclear if he will assume the role as chair immediately.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Former Faculty Senate chair Tulia Falleti attends a University Council meeting on Feb. 22, 2023.

ARRESTS

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL AND CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in front of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s house on May 10.

Penn places six students on leave of absence due to a liation with Gaza Solidarity Encampment

A letter addressed to one of the disciplined individuals said that they had contributed to increasingly unsafe conditions and a situation posing a threat to order and safety

KATIE BARTLETT, EMILY SCOLNICK, AND ETHAN YOUNG News Editor, Senior Reporter, and Staff Reporter

Penn placed six student organizers affiliated with the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on mandatory leaves of absence on May 9.

A University spokesperson told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the Vice Provost for University Life issued the mandatory leaves of absence in accordance with University policies pending the results of disciplinary investigations by Penn’s Center for Community Standards and Accountability.

A Penn undergraduate originally announced at a press conference that the student organizers were suspended, but the source familiar with the matter clarified that this was not the case. The same undergraduate also alleged that one student organizer was evicted without notice from their dorm. The DP could not immediately confirm the speaker’s allegations about the student’s eviction.

The six student organizers received letters from Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma notifying them of the mandatory leaves of absence. In a letter addressed to one of the individuals and obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Kozuma said that the student’s participation in the encampment has contributed to “increasingly unsafe conditions” and “a situation that poses a threat to order and safety.”

The letter cites the Charter of the University of Pennsylvania Student Disciplinary System (Section

III.D.) as justification for the disciplinary measure. Those issued the “mandatory temporary leave of absence” are barred from all University-related activities and Penn facilities. One student was unable to access her dorm room after her PennCard was deactivated, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Violation of the restrictions above may result in further disciplinary action,” the letter concludes.

“The University reserves the right to modify your status or impose additional restrictions if it determines, in its sole discretion, that such action is warranted by new information.”

According to the University handbook, a mandatory leave of absence is used in “extraordinary circumstances” for “when a student’s presence on campus is deemed by the University to be a threat to order, health, safety, or the conduct of the University’s educational mission.”

The handbook adds that “at the respondent’s request, and where feasible, the [Office of Student Conduct] may expedite the investigation of a complaint and the disciplinary hearing against a student placed on a mandatory temporary leave of absence.”

Twelve students previously received disciplinary notices due to their involvement with the encampment. It remains unclear whether the University will pursue further action against the remaining six students.

organizer of

Shapiro, Casey praise Penn decision to disband encampment amid local politician ‘disappointment’

While the two high-pro le politicians praised Penn’s move to disband the encampment, two politicians who represent Penn expressed concern

DIAMY

Two of Pennsylvania’s most high-profile politicians — Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — praised Penn’s decision to disband the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on May 10, while two local politicians who represent Penn expressed deep concern about the University’s conduct.

Thirty-three individuals, nine of whom are Penn students, were arrested by Penn Police officers with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department during the sweep. The protesters were cited for trespassing and have since been released from a Philadelphia Police station.

Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, wrote in a statement that Penn’s leadership “made the right decision” during the May 10 sweep.

“Unfortunately, the situation at Penn reached an untenable point – and as the University stated publicly, the encampment was in violation of university policy, campus was being disrupted, and threatening, discriminatory speech and behavior were increasing,” Bonder wrote. Casey, at an event in Philadelphia, said that — while protesters had the right to oppose “actions taken by a government” — some protests, and the rhetoric in them, crossed a line.

“It’s a great American tradition to protest,” Casey said. “But at some point, when a protest begins to affect

the ability of others to get to class, or in this case, with an impending graduation, it begins to infringe upon others’ rights.”

In a press release, 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer, and City Solicitor Renee Garcia wrote they were “thankful” that the police’s action in clearing the encampment “occurred without violence.”

The statement also confirmed that Penn “requested general assistance” from the City of Philadelphia on May 1.

“From that day 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 wrote. “We were also clear that we expected Penn to explore every option to resolve this matter peacefully.”

In addition, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner confirmed earlier this morning that all 33 people arrested were given code violation notices, not criminal charges.

He declined to give further comment, citing a need to know if his information was “actually consistent” with the situation at hand. On a previous visit to the encampment, Krasner told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he had “been fed false information,” but declined to comment on the source of that information.

In a joint statement, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) said that they were “disappointed” by the University’s dismantling of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and the involvement of riot police.

“From the start, we advocated for a negotiated, nonviolent resolution,” the statement wrote. “Sending a large militarized police force against students and faculty is an inappropriate and deeply concerning response.”

Gauthier and Krajewski, who are both Penn alumni and represent Penn in their respective levels of government, said they are “grateful” those arrested only received code violation notices, and urged the University to not further discipline students and faculty.

“Throughout time, Philadelphians have used peaceful protests to express their beliefs and fight for change, and we will always defend our constituents’ First Amendment rights,” the statement wrote.

In a statement on X — formerly Twitter — Krajewski also wrote that he was “extremely frustrated and shocked” at Penn’s decision to “employ a militarized police force.”

The disciplined students have lost all PennCard access. Organizers said the majority of those disciplined were issued against seniors, and they are unsure of how the action will impact eligibility for those seniors to graduate or receive their degrees.

Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine wrote in a statement on Instagram that the six students did not receive hearings before Provost John Jackson Jr., as required by the Charter of the University Disciplinary System. In the statement, PAO also alleged that the decision was made without consultation and approval of each student’s academic dean.

The Daily Pennsylvanian could not confirm the allegations. A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson.

“These cases have been manipulated to keep perceived leaders of the encampment off campus,” the statement read. “This is a corruption of the Community Standards and Accountability process, devoid of open expression policies, and clear proof it is University administrators — not organizers — who are bad-faith actors.”

The statement also says that the disciplinary measures were conveyed by Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma this morning. It says that Kozuma’s letter told students they cannot enter academic buildings, be present on campus, or participate in programming — including classes and graduation-related activities.

Two of the students banned from campus are on the encampment’s negotiations team, while the student locked out of her dorm is an international student, according to the PAO statement.

The student at the press conference added that organizers met with University leadership on Wednesday and described negotiations as having gone “incredibly poorly.” They said that while it seemed Penn would initially grant some leeway with their demands, it appeared that administrators would not respond to any demands.

“From day one, we have insisted with the university that students receive disciplinary amnesty from the school,” the student said. “The University has again and again refused this. We didn’t think that the school would stoop so low, but clearly they have.”

The student blamed the University Board of Trustees for the lack of response to their demands, alleging that the Board of Trustees “has an incredible amount of money invested in the Israeli apartheid state” and that Penn is committed to its “financial commitment to these investments.”

The Daily Pennsylvanian could not independently corroborate these allegations.

The decision came as the University escalated disciplinary action against participants following the Gaza Solidarity Encampment’s expansion onto the east side of College Green on May 8, nearly

two weeks after it first began. At around 7:30 p.m., members began moving barriers and at least eight tents onto the east side of College Green as a crowd of 200 people chanted, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.”

The encampment demanded that Penn divests from Israel, corporations that benefit from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and Israeli institutions committing “scholasticide.” It also demanded that Penn defend Palestinian students, including granting amnesty to students involved in pro-Palestinian activism and reinstating Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine.

“We are here protesting against a genocide that has threatened tens of thousands of lives,” the student said at the press conference. “I don’t think that we are going to be deterred because the school thinks they can stop us from six [leaves of absence].” PAO further described the administration’s allegations that the encampment contributes to “increasingly unsafe conditions” as a “display of hypocrisy.”

The group wrote that they reject the characterization of student organizers as “exceptional threats,” criticizing Penn for failing to confront “academic devastation, scholasticide, and destruction of over 445 academic institutions in Gaza.” It also criticized the University for not taking action against counterprotesters.

“Karu Kozuma did get one thing right: ‘you and other organizers have persisted,’” the statement read. “And we will continue to do so.”

The encampment and the conduct of some participants drew criticism from some Jewish community members, including College senior Eyal Yakoby and Perelman School of Medicine professor Benjamin Abella — both of whom have organized events in opposition to the encampment. Yakoby delivered a second petition calling on the encampment’s disbandment to Jameson on the evening of May 9.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the student organizers were suspended, having attributed this information to a student at an encampment press conference. Organizers later clarified that the student organizers were placed on leaves of absence and are not under suspension. The DP regrets the error.

Correction: The same previous version of this article stated that the student organizers were disciplined by the Center for Community Standards and Accountability. According to a University spokesperson, the student organizers were issued the leaves of absence by the Vice Provost for University Life, pending the results of disciplinary investigations by CSA. The DP regrets the error.

Jameson defends arrests of Gaza Solidarity Encampment members, announces College Green closure

University administrators explained that they acted after the campus had been ‘under threat’ for too long a period of time

ETHAN YOUNG Staff Reporter

Interim Penn President Larry Jameson defended the sweep of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on May 10 and restricted the College Green area until further notice.

In an email to the University community — which was sent shortly after 9 a.m. from Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli — administrators explained that they acted after the campus had been “under threat” for too long a period of time.

“This is an unfortunate but necessary step to prevent violence, restore operations, and return our campus to our community,” Jameson wrote.

Penn and Philadelphia Police officers in riot gear arrested 33 individuals at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at around 6 a.m. on May 10. The individuals did not resist arrest and were cited for defiant trespass.

“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,” Jameson wrote.

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. The encampment is now entirely dismantled, with tents,

Palestinian flags, and poles having been placed into a garbage truck and shredded.

He also wrote to express “gratitude” to both the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department. Access to College Green will remain “restricted” and will require PennCard access for entry. Jameson warned that those who do not have ID will “be asked to leave” or escorted off campus.

“There are times when our abiding commitment to open expression requires balancing free speech with our responsibility to safety, security, and continuing the operations of the University,” Jameson wrote. “Open expression and peaceful protest are welcome on our campus, but vandalism, trespassing, disruption, and threatening language and actions are not.”

Jameson acknowledged attempts at dialogue but said that the University could “could not allow further disruption of our academic mission.”

He added that divestment from Israeli entities would be “unlawful” given that Penn receives funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“We proposed, and still hope to deploy, Penn’s academic resources to support rebuilding and scholarly programs in Gaza, Israel, and other areas of the Middle East,” Jameson added.

WANG Senior Reporter

JULIA VAN LARE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Gov. Josh Shapiro (pictured above) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) expressed support for the disbandment of the encampment.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Police officers disband the encampment on the morning of May 10.

ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

An

the Gaza Solidarity Encampment speaks to the press on May 9.

COLUMN | From an alumnus to the administration at Penn

As an alumnus of Penn, I received communication from the University a few days ago regarding the removal by Penn Police in riot gear (with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department) of the encampment of students protesting Israel’s violations of the human rights of Palestinians in Gaza. The University’s actions have not been fair or even-handed to these students, and I believe the administration is on the wrong side of history. In my view, the students’ demands have been reasonable and just, as this war shows no signs of ending. On Oct. 7, a Hamas raid (which I have condemned) killed 1,100 Israelis. Today, Israel’s eightmonth military operations have killed 40,000 people, displaced nearly two million, and destroyed more than 50% of the buildings in Gaza. What Israel has done is not justice or defense, but rather barbarism and immorality by the standards of the Jewish, Christian, or Muslim religions, or by any reasonable standard of international law. It is for this reason that the International Court of Justice has allowed a case for genocide to proceed against Israel.

I was especially appalled that dozens of Penn faculty members traveled to Israel in January and met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is specifically mentioned in the International Court of Justice

finding. This is equivalent to a faculty member meeting with Vladimir Putin or Slobodan Milošević. I cannot believe that any Arab, Palestinian, or Muslim student could think that they would be treated fairly by these faculty.

To say that Penn has been even-handed in its dealings with pro-Israeli and proPalestinian students is demonstrably false. Shortly after Oct. 7, Penn convened an antisemitism task force, which was done in partnership with the American Jewish Committee, and we have received continuous communication about this committee. I call on Penn to immediately establish a task force to specifically address Islamophobia and anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism on campus, and that this task force work in cooperation with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee.

I also call on Penn to evaluate investments in any activity which may violate human rights or international law. Such an approach needs to be applied to Israel in light of events in Gaza, but should also be applied to any other countries committing war crimes or human rights violations.

The demands of the students protesting on College Green were just by any reasonable standards. The University refused offers of mediation by several

members of the Philadelphia City Council. Penn’s actions do not enhance public safety and will produce a chilling effect on free speech in the future. I call on Penn to drop any charges against the students involved in the encampment, and apologize to the community for excessive use of force.

I am currently a Platinum-level alumni donor to Penn. I am currently serving on the alumni admissions committee, and I am active in the Penn and Wharton clubs of Chicago. I will continue to support the University, but I want to reiterate how very disappointed I am in Penn’s response to this crisis.

GEORGE HONIG is a 1987 Wharton graduate. His email is georgehhonig@ gmail.com.

Penn Faculty Against Antisemitism | In response to the end

the encampment

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | The ongoing tension at Penn

We are members of Penn Faculty Against Antisemitism (PFAA) who write to express our concern about the recent events on our campus; namely, the increase in discord within our community. First, we would like to thank Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and the administration, Penn Police, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, and the Philadelphia Police Department for the effective, efficient, and professional clearing of the encampment to return our campus to a safe place for all students and faculty. Nobody wants our students to be harmed, and we do not wish to penalize anyone who is practicing their right to free expression. However, we are hopeful that the University will engage in a thorough and fair disciplinary process to ensure that students and faculty who are not adhering to the code of conduct face appropriate consequences for inciting hate and creating a threatening campus environment. This should apply to anyone fomenting hate and encouraging destruction of property. We recognize that many of these people are not

Peaceful protest belongs on college campuses

students on this campus. We condemn any further escalation, especially by non-Penn agitators, and look forward to a safe and meaningful conclusion to the academic term, including long-awaited graduations, commencement, and class reunions. We welcome civil and respectful discussion. We advocate for the release of the hostages and elimination of Hamas and other organizations funded by terrorism as a critical goal to achieve in reaching an end to this war. We cannot move on as a community until we can come together as a community. The entire country is heartbroken that it has come to this with many of the college encampments, but the only way forward is to choose dialogue and understanding over hate. We are all working for a better present in hopes of creating a better future. Let us try to emerge from this experience with a renewed desire to talk and listen to one another rather than screaming across the divide.

Read the full list of signatories at thedp.com

VESELY’S VISION | The student encampments around the country are powerful tools for change

This column was originally published on April 28.

All over the country, student-led encampments for Gaza have popped up in recent days. The encampment at Penn was erected on April 25 following continued action at Columbia University, and since then, we have only seen the national movement continue to grow. This is a developing situation, and as of my writing this, there are over 50 encampments on campuses nationwide. Penn is no stranger to being in the spotlight of the Israel-Palestine conflict’s impact on elite college campuses. Back in September, the Palestine Writes Literature Festival brought a whirlwind of criticism to Penn’s door, and former Penn President Liz Magill’s response and actions thereafter led to her resignation. As documented throughout history, protests and sit-ins have been utilized as a positive tool for change. At Penn, we are seeing hundreds of organizers and approximately 40 tents lining College Green. I support students’ rights to peaceful protest, as it is a cornerstone of our democracy. We’ve seen many examples of times when student protest at Penn brought forth the changes demanded. The 1969 College Hall sit-in against the displacement of West Philadelphia residents by the University is a prime example highlighted on Penn’s website. Currently, Penn graduate students are pushing to unionize and holding rallies to advance their objectives. An election that was originally scheduled for mid-April has been moved to May as students actively organize around the cause.

This long history of student activism will continue with the encampment involving Drexel and Temple students, as well as activists and community members from the greater Philadelphia area. Free speech should be protected, but unfortunately, these peaceful demonstrations can still be met with violence. I’m well aware of how common police brutality and the use of excess force are, but videos of students in prayer being apprehended, students being tased when fully restrained, and professors being arrested have shocked members of society who believe said actions

no longer occur. We exist in a world that is very much unjust, and I refuse to turn a blind eye. We need better education surrounding the true protections of free speech and said limitations — hate speech is not — and should not be — protected. On the other hand, peaceful demonstrations should always be upheld. Without them, we lose one of the greatest tools for change we are given that is accessible to all. They’re enshrined in the First Amendment for a reason, and our founding fathers — as do I — see free speech, press, and assembly as one of the best foundations we have.

These encampments are impossible to ignore, and that is one of the reasons they are being utilized. Students are so moved and agitated that the threat of arrest — especially in the case of entirely peaceful demonstrations — doesn’t subdue them: It inspires them to hold their ground.

On April 26, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson made a statement calling for the disbandment of the camps. I don’t see forcibly shutting down these camps as a viable solution towards long or short-term peace within the higher education system. The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for more than 100 years, and while I hope a solution can be reached in the future, that will not happen overnight. What can happen on university campuses like Penn’s is the demands of the protestors — most notably the release of Penn’s financial holdings and defense of pro-Palestinian students involved in protest — being thoughtfully considered and discussed by administration.

I urge people who disagree with the encampments to ask themselves what they would do if they witnessed a community they felt a personal connection to, or stood in solidarity with, being killed at drastically high numbers. The “scholasticide” of Palestinian scholars and mass killing of children — all partially funded by the United States government — present incredible injustices that we are witnessing in real time. Penn does not stand alone, nor do any of these universities and their students. A sole encampment may be seen as a nuisance or waste of time, but together, across the

country, these students stand in solidarity with each other and with Gaza. When walking through the Penn encampment today, I witnessed people coming together to share poetry, engage in prayer, and provide resources and support to one another. More spaces of presumed support — endorsed by the University — would be helpful in allowing people to feel heard, seen, and valued without the need to occupy College Green.

I also urge people to remember that these encampments are not isolated to Penn or even to Ivy League schools. At our close neighbor Swarthmore, and in my own home state of Arizona, at Arizona State University, students are participating in these protests. All across the country, students are moved to take action.

I support Jameson and his statements regarding the safety and importance of crosscultural communication and listening, and I urge Penn community members to do the same. That being said, Penn administration can call for the disbanding of the encampment and urge students to go home. But until they quell students’ desires for administrative accountability and provide spaces for Palestinian culture to be fully recognized, students’ rights to exercise their voices in a peaceful manner seem like they will prevail.

MIA VESELY is a College sophomore studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Phoenix, Ariz. Her email is mvesely@sas.upenn.edu.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Philadelphia Police gather at the site of the encampment on College Green on May 10.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment was disbanded on May 10.

JEAN PARK | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

The Gaza Solidarity encampment at Penn on April 26.

Bias on full display: How Penn’s ignorant activists are hurting us all

UNHINGED | The unspoken casualty of the Israel-Gaza con ict is our collective humanity

This column was originally published on May 3. I did not want to publish another piece on the Israel-Hamas war.

Lately, I’ve been grappling with self doubt, questioning whether I should have voiced my opinions on the issue at all. My earlier columns have yielded no positive outcomes, only estranging me from individuals I once held in high regard. I’ve found myself clinging to those who still maintain a semblance of civility in our conversations. I wonder if my commentary is productive or even warranted.

So, while I recognize the local implications of geopolitical conflicts, I question whether speaking out is worth compromising my relative sense of security. I realize that this consideration is a mark of my privilege as an unaffected observer, but I’ve enjoyed the recent peace from not engaging in controversial political discourse.

However, in light of the recent encampment on College Green, I feel compelled to address my concern regarding how readily members of the Penn community sever connections in favor of ideological echo chambers. Many well-intentioned students have adopted rigid, individualistic stances, labeling those who disagree as complicit in genocide and unworthy of engagement. This attitude has far-reaching implications, diverting attention from the victims of war that Penn’s burgeoning activists claim to support.

Unfortunately, almost all of these politically involved actors are at fault for our tragic reality.

First off, I realize that many protestors acknowledge Hamas’ role in the initial attacks, yet this recognition far too often falls under public view. Instead, anti-Zionists are infamous in opposition circles for using token Jews as spokespeople, ignoring the vast majority of Jews who don’t share their perspectives. Representatives of the encampment and affiliated initiatives, such as the Freedom School for Palestine, fail to acknowledge that one can support a single-state solution while participating in collective efforts for Palestinian liberation. The pitfalls of this approach manifested themselves in a recent Jewish Voice for Peace protest. To recap the event, anti-Zionist Jews had attempted to hold a symbolic Passover Seder as a call against the war in Gaza. However, the protestors’ lack of liturgical knowledge was evident in their display where they struggled to write Hebrew phrases correctly

— their handwritten letters sprawled from left to right instead of right to left. Furthermore, the topic of antisemitism only headlines the conversation when protestors clarify that anti-Zionism is distinct from antisemitism. This is a fair case to make, but we must acknowledge Zionism’s evolving definitions and how some have weaponized anti-Zionist positions against Jews. Most Jews identify as Zionists, and obviously, the general Jewish Zionist position does not condone Palestinian suffering. As ideological communities continue to remain pitted against each other, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement’s demand for a comparison of casualty numbers between Israelis and Palestinians can be insensitive to the individual experiences of Jewish students and their efforts for hostage retrieval. Nonetheless, overlooking the disparity in casualties can also come across as dismissive of Palestinian suffering and individuality.

And in that vein, pro-Israel individuals have failed to consistently call out the consequences of the Israel Defense Forces’ actions in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, leading to a perceived devaluation of Palestinian lives. Critics use isolated incidents of bigotry within the protest movements as a pretext to condemn nonviolent resistance movements at large. As a result, the students associated with the anti-occupation coalition are effectively reduced to a single ideology. This line of thinking has led to the misguided association of cultural symbols, like Arabic music and the keffiyeh, with hateful ideologies. This is a harmful and inaccurate conflation that will never ensure an equitable future for all. Likewise, by labeling any aspect of pro-Palestinian activism as Hamas, the pro-Israel party not only ceases to stand on its own alleged principles, but it deflects from the actually deplorable instances of explicit affiliation with terrorism and calls for the destruction of Israel. While it is essential to call out antisemitism, accusing students — some of whom are Jewish themselves — of weaponizing a fundamentalist interpretation of the Quran is an Islamophobic trope that unnecessarily inserts religion into the discourse.

That said, I want to address one of many recent incidents of antisemitic vandalism. The prompt covering of graffiti by an organizer was a positive step, but it is crucial to recognize that antisemitism is being weaponized due to the existence of

The aftermath I had feared is here

the encampment. Regardless of the perpetrator, all protesters — both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, for lack of better distinction — must self reflect and call out the possibility of discrimination within their ranks.

Therefore, we need to recognize the humanity and experiences of all concerned, rather than reducing the conflict to simplistic or divisive rhetoric. I urge the Penn community to move beyond petty squabbles and focus on the substantive issues at hand. Regardless of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s word choice in emails or debates over biblical versus scientific narratives of indigeneity,

we must prioritize the core issue: the Palestinian and Israeli victims of prolonged geopolitical tensions. While I acknowledge the good intentions of passionate commentators, fixating on trivial aspects only serves to distract from the pressing concerns that demand our collective attention.

MRITIKA SENTHIL is a first year studying management and Russian and east European studies from Columbia, S.C. Her email is mritikas@upenn.edu.

GUEST COLUMN | My letter of resignation from the position of Chair of the Faculty Senate of the University of Pennsylvania

Early on the morning of May 10, in less than one hour, the Philadelphia police removed the Gaza Solidarity Encampment protesters from the College Green of our campus. Penn students, staff, and faculty, with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, were separated one by one from those embracing them as they sat on the ground or locked arms around the iconic Ben Franklin statue. Not a punch or a rock was thrown; no one so much as spat.

Since April 25, as Chair of the Faculty Senate, I have observed the encampment, walking by its perimeter several times a day. It was a peaceful protest. I wrote so in a guest column published in The Daily Pennsylvanian on May 4, and I stand by my assessment. On May 6, during one of my visits to the perimeter of the encampment, I noticed a person standing behind the white board that announced the events for the day. I entered the encampment a few feet to read the back of the white board. Listed there were 14 “Community Guidelines and Principles.” Number 10 read: “Do not engage with counter-protesters or bad-faith agitators.”

During the two weeks of the encampment, despite events of individualized harassment and intimidation against protesters that were reported to the Penn Police and to the Committee on Open Expression, protesters remained non-violent. The speed with which the police were able to dismantle the protest is itself evidence of the protesters’

refusal to resort to violence. Members of our community who characterize chants, signs, flags, even graffiti (which our student protesters covered and asked to be removed) or paint on our beloved founder Ben Franklin’s statue as forms of violence need to turn on their TVs and tune in to violent protests or war scenes from around the world. We can certainly talk about symbolic violence or of hurtful forms of expression, but no one in our campus can say that the encampment that was on College Green from April 25 until this morning — and that included not only Penn members but also members of the larger Philadelphia community — has caused any physical harm or physical violence.

The encampment grew on the evening of May 8, which was of great concern to me. In a worldwide, student-led social movement, in which the encampment — i.e. peaceful protest with tents — is a strategy for protest or part of its main repertoire, its modus operandi, and is the only bargaining power that protesters have, the growth of the encampment’s footprint could only indicate one reality: negotiations with the University administration were not progressing. Was the University negotiating in good faith and with respect for the student protesters as our former President Sheldon Hackney had done when negotiating divestment from South Africa in the early 1980s? I could not tell. Did the encampment occupy part of our University’s lawns? Yes,

a tiny fraction of those campus properties on which the institution does not pay property taxes and which expand over a significant part of West Philadelphia. Was it disruptive to our educational mission? No, it was not. The building closest to the encampment, College Hall, is under construction, and as of May 1, there are no more classes on campus. Van Pelt Library is across from the encampment, but even when the chants were at some of their highest volume, our students were studying undisturbed in the library. Students also took graduation photos around the encampment, both in front of College Hall and at the Button and the LOVE statue. It was only on the evenings of May 8 (when negotiations had stopped) and May 9 and this morning that university operations were interrupted as the University prepared to clear the encampment. Had the University taken a different approach, our educational activities and access to buildings would have continued uninterrupted.

I was ending my first year of high school when the last military dictatorship came to an end in my native Argentina. The following year, with my fellow high-school students, we were able to do what the generation before ours could not: We could go into the streets and protest, and we could also occupy our buildings in protest. The generation before mine had been arrested, killed, and disappeared for protesting — even when the cause was free public transit rides for students. Thanks to our newly regained democracy, my classmates and I could join almost weekly protests in support of democracy, of human rights, of justice, or workers’ rights. And our sit-ins and building occupations always ended with good faith negotiations, never by force. Those were formative political experiences that shaped my future civic and political life and oriented me toward becoming a social scientist and an educator.

Today, I am heartbroken that my university, the institution where I have taught, carried out my research, and worked in service of our students, staff, and faculty in myriad ways for over twenty years, has decided to send in the police to arrest its own students, staff, and faculty. I have been asked if I would hold the same position if the protesters were part of a worldwide encampment movement that was pro-abortion or against immigration. My answer is unequivocally “Yes!” I would defend and uphold their right to peacefully protest, because this is a fundamental bedrock right of democracy. The fact that this protest — like the Occupy Wall Street or the rent protest movements before — used tents should have led our University community to talk about our land, how we occupy it, how it is taxed (or not) by our city, how it serves our mission, and how we use it. At this precise moment, in fact, the construction work that is going on around College Hall has occupied a larger footprint of our College Green area than the encampment did. Moreover, unlike other universities that use their main green area for graduation, we hold our convocations and graduations in our football stadium, so there was no reason to rush to remove the encampment as the semester came to an end and graduation was due to take place in ten days and over two blocks from College Green. The fact that there were Penn students, staff, and faculty complaining about speech content should have led to discussions about free speech, not censorship. And the fact that order is “restored” by sacrificing rights to free speech and to non-violent protest is exactly

what autocracies around the world do now and what dictatorships have done throughout history to repress civic movements and suppress rights. Moreover, the decision itself is shortsighted. The encampment can be removed today, but the worldwide student-led movement will not end. According to our rules, as Chair of the Faculty Senate I was not elected but appointed instead by a small Nominating Committee of nine peers. This undemocratic process notwithstanding, I am confident that by upholding our rules and procedures, I could have continued to strive to represent the vast majority of the members of the standing faculty at Penn. For instance, our Senate Executive Committee agreed yesterday to encourage “both the administration and the negotiating team of the student-led movement to keep negotiating in good faith, to de-escalate, and to seek a peaceful resolution.” I would have been thrilled to carry that message if there was anyone to hear it today. I am, however, no longer confident of my ability to work collaboratively with our administration that has sent in the police to arrest its own students, staff, and faculty for participating in a non-violent protest. Thus, I am hereby presenting my resignation as Chair of the Faculty Senate of the University of Pennsylvania. As a member of the standing faculty, I will continue to defend academic freedom, free speech, and due process at our university. After serving as Chair-elect and then Chair of the Faculty Senate during the last two years, I am more aware and cognizant than ever of our Faculty Handbook, our Statutes of the Trustees (in particular, Article 11), our essential Guidelines on Open Expression, our carefully structured disciplinary processes for students, our need for academic freedom, and the importance of our shared governance. I am also keenly aware of the challenges that our University has faced in the last year and that are of public knowledge. As two colleagues have recently argued, our University’s rules have been written in times of calm to be applied in times of upheaval. As a faculty member, I will make every effort to ensure that our rules and procedures are followed without bias and without manipulation. That our students, staff, and faculty are treated fairly. If universities such as Penn become one-sided, partisan, and biased, if they give in to external pressures for either political or financial reasons, then there is no hope for higher education in this country or the world. The larger threat is to democracy itself, because such manipulation of our rules, policies, and procedures can only take place in non-democratic institutions. I leave my leadership role in the Faculty Senate with the following unsolicited words of advice to our administration, our Trustees, our boards’ advisors, and to my fellow colleagues. It comes from our students: “We commit to assuming the best intentions, granting ourselves and others grace when mistakes are made and approaching conflict with the goal of addressing, repairing, and restoring.” (Guideline number eight of the Penn encampment disbanded today.) May I have the wisdom of our students and future leaders to live up to this principle in the weeks and months to come, given the mistakes committed at Penn today.

TULIA G. FALLETI is a professor of political science and former chair of the Faculty Senate. Her email address is falleti@sas.upenn.edu.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Police maintain a fence between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the encampment on May 2.

ELIUD VARGAS | DP FILE PHOTO

Guest columnist Tulia Falleti writes to resign from the position of Chair of the Faculty Senate.

How the Gaza Solidarity Encampment was dismantled at Penn

PHOTOS BY ETHAN YOUNG, ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL, CHENYAO LIU

The

Organizers demanded that the University disclose its fi nancial holdings, divest financially from “corporations that profit from Israel’s war on Gaza and occupation in Palestine,” and condemn the “scholasticide” of Pal estinian scholars and universities. They also urged Penn to defend Palestinian students and withdraw its disciplinary actions against pro-Palestinian activists, including the revocation of Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine’s student group status. Here is how The Daily Pennsylvanian captured the events of May

Pro-Palestinian protesters release red, green, and black smoke bombs as they chant outside Jameson’s residence.

Officers began arresting the pro-Palestinian protesters, removing them from the circle around the Ben Franklin statue one at a time and handcuffing them with zip ties.

Penn employees began clearing the encampment after the arrests, throwing tents, signs, flags, and other belongings into a trash truck on Locust Walk.

The protesters were put into custody in police vans and taken to a Philadelphia Police station.

Residents in Lauder College House watch protesters march through University City in response to the encampment sweep.

A protester sits on Locust Walk, handcuffed and surrounded by police officers.

A pro-Palestinian protester speaks during the rally in front of Jameson’s house.

Professor of English Chi-ming Yang was escorted away by police but not formally detained after protesting the arrests with other faculty members at 34th and Walnut streets.

After the Gaza Solidarity Encampment was fully cleared from College Green, six-foot barricades were placed on all four sides of the perimeter.

Police officers entered the encampment in riot gear at 5:55 a.m., using batons to overturn tents and check for protesters inside.

Officers from the Philadelphia and Penn Police departments arrested 33 protesters at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Friday and cleared the tents on College Green shortly after.

The same evening, nearly 150 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through University City and stopped in front of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s house for a rally, where at least four demonstrators briefly entered the gates of the residence.

arrests and rally marked the 16th day of the encampment, which began on the afternoon of April 25.

10, in photos.

CHENYAO LIU AND ETHAN YOUNG News Photo Editor and Photo Associate