Philly police disband pro-Palestine Penn encampment, arrest 33 protesters

UPDATE (10:45 a.m.): University of Pennsylvania interim president J. Larry Jameson called the removal of the pro-Palestinian encampment on College Green on Friday a necessary step to address “extraordinary circumstances” that had put the Penn community “under threat” for more than two weeks. 

“The protestors refused 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,” Jameson said in an email to the Penn community sent at 9:27 a.m., not long after police in riot gear dismantled the encampment and arrested 33 protesters. 

Access to the College Green area will be restricted to people with valid University of Pennsylvania IDs until further notice, the email states. Any one without proper identification will be asked to leave or escorted off campus.

The email John L. Jackson Jr., Penn’s provost, and Craig R. Carnaroli, the university’s senior executive vice president.

Jameson said he and other leaders at Penn had hoped to reach a different resolution with the demonstrators, who had expanded the encampment since it began on April 24. 

“Despite diligent efforts to find a path forward, the gap between the positions of many in the encampment and the University proved too wide to bridge in this volatile environment,” Jameson said. 

The university remains “unequivocally opposed” to divestment from organizations and businesses tied to Israel, Jameson said, and will not offer disciplinary amnesty to students and faculty who participated in the encampment. 

The Philly Palestine Coalition, one of several organizations involved in the encampment, said Friday morning that its actions at Penn aren’t finished. 

“It was a beautiful encampment for the 17 days it lasted,” the group said in an Instagram post. “And if Penn thinks this is the end, they need to think some more.”

Penn officials called the removal of the encampment “viewpoint neutral” and said the university still hopes to use its resources to support rebuilding and scholarly programs in Gaza, Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East. 

“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 said. “This is one of those times and why we have acted.”

Police in riot gear arrived at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday morning to clear out the pro-Palestinian encampment that had been on College Green for more than two weeks and a group of protesters was arrested.

“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,” according to a statement from Penn. “Protestors were given multiple warnings that they were trespassing and offered the opportunity to voluntarily leave and avoid citation. Those who chose to stay did so knowing that they would be arrested and removed. Approximately 33 individuals were arrested without incident and cited for defiant trespass.”

Chris Compendio/PhillyVoice

Garbage trucks were used to help clear out tents and signs from the pro-Palestine encampment on College Green at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday.

Garbage trucks arrived at College Green as Penn workers disposed of tents and signs. Police erected a 6-foot-tall fence on Woodland Walk, west of College Green, and closed off the area surrounding College Hall and the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. 

Chris Compendio/PhillyVoice

Fences were put up Friday at Penn to block protesters from College Green, where an encampment was being cleared out.

Pro-Palestinian organizations in Philly are calling for protesters to mobilize in front of the 19th Police District station, where police took arrested demonstrators.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and state Rep. Rick Krajewski, who both represent the University of Pennsylvania and the surrounding community and are Penn alumnus, released a joint statement. 

“We are disappointed that riot police dismantled a peaceful student-led protest this morning,” they said. “From the start, we advocated for a negotiated, nonviolent resolution. Sending a large militarized police force against students and faculty is an inappropriate and deeply concerning response. 

“We are glad that the City only plans to issue (code violation notices) to those arrested, and urge that Penn not escalate this situation further by disciplining their students and faculty.”

The university had called several times for the encampment’s disbandment, a demand that Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed Thursday at an event. Earlier Thursday, Penn said it had issued mandatory leaves of absence to six students who violated university policy during the encampment. 

Penn also announced new safety protocols for the commencement ceremony on Monday, May 20, at Franklin Field, saying guests will have to go through an “airport-style security screening” to enter the stadium. 

“Penn continues to focus on the safety of our campus, including expanding security presence in response to the expansion of the encampment, despite our efforts to resolve this situation,” according to a university statement. The announcement ended by acknowledging that security procedures “may change as conditions warrant.”

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Senior Staff Writer Michael Tanenbaum contributed to this article.