Penn strongly pushed back on criticism of its execution of a search warrant at an off-campus residence belonging to pro-Palestinian student activists, as its city councilmember condemned the University's actions.
The statement from a University spokesperson marks Penn's first official comment since the search, which occurred on the morning of Oct. 18. The search was publicly disclosed on social media by Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine on the evening of Oct. 21 and occurred after Penn Police obtained a search warrant that was reviewed by the Philadelphia District Attorney's office and approved by a bail commissioner.
In the nearly two weeks since the raid, several community groups and stakeholders — including two local politicians representing Penn and multiple faculty groups — have denounced an allegedly unnecessarily heavy-handed police response during Penn’s search of the residence.
In the statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a University spokesperson defended Penn Police’s actions by writing that “a small group of individuals, some of whom may be students, continue to take disruptive and at times illegal actions against the University community” and that part of Penn Police’s work “involves investigating alleged incidents to determine if laws have been violated, following the facts wherever they lead.”
“[The individuals] continue to flout policies and laws that they do not think apply to them, and then blame their own institution when they encounter consequences,” the spokesperson wrote. “Laws must be enforced uniformly and fairly and are not designed to be waived when they do not suit a particular viewpoint. Ignoring inconvenient rules or wildly mischaracterizing facts weakens our whole community.”
The spokesperson added that Penn remains committed to “ensuring a safe and welcoming community,” calling Penn Police “one of the most professional and highly regarded University police forces in the country.”
“We will not tolerate hate of any kind, violence, vandalism, or threats, whether it comes from outside or from within the Penn community,” they wrote. “And Penn Police will continue to prioritize the safety of all our community members, even and especially those who are investigated for potential crimes."
PAO’s Instagram post announcing the raid alleged that 12 Penn Police officers and one Philadelphia Police officer “stormed the house in full tactical gear” after pointing a gun at a neighbor and threatening to break down the door, and “point[ed] rifles and handguns” at residents’ heads as they exited their rooms. PAO said one student was taken in for questioning and saw their personal device seized "on suspicion of vandalism."
The post also alleged that officers did not show a warrant or provide their names or badge numbers.
The DP was unable to confirm these details about the search.
On Tuesday, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier — who represents Penn — became the latest to condemn Penn’s actions. In a statement, she condemned Penn Police for its "violent and aggressive" tactics in executing the warrant on Oct. 18 and called on the University to investigate the circumstances surrounding the search.
Gauthier wrote in her statement that she is “appalled” at Penn’s actions, writing that she “unequivocally condemn[s]” the University’s choice to “use violent and aggressive tactics” in the execution of the warrant. She also wrote that the investigation centers on a Sept. 12 incident when pro-Palestinian activists claimed responsibility for vandalizing the Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall with red paint.
Gauthier wrote in the statement that Penn Police executed the warrant outside of its patrol zone, which extends from 30th Street to 43rd Street and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue. The DP was unable to confirm if the warrant was executed outside of UPPD's patrol zone.
“I understand that UPPD may have to operate outside of their patrol zone to investigate crimes that happened on their campus,” she wrote. “However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the West Philadelphia community has a long and tense history with the University of Pennsylvania, and the operation on Friday the 18th is a direct echo of that dynamic.”
She added that UPPD’s actions must remain in line “with the same level of accountability and transparency we expect from the Philadelphia Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners,” and called on University leadership to investigate “how this disproportionate response occurred and publish their findings.”
Separately, in an open letter obtained by the DP, “concerned students, faculty, and community members” condemned Penn Police’s actions and outlined seven demands, including an investigation into Penn Police, divestment from Israel, and a vote of no confidence in administrators — echoing a previous petition circulated by Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine.
The letter was written by “a united front of students, faculty, and staff organizations at the University of Pennsylvania to wholly and utterly reject such flagrant abuses of power,” calling the search “the culmination of decades of unchecked militarization of police and universities’ private police forces.”
A University spokesperson declined to comment on Gauthier’s statement and the open letter.
“The way that the University of Pennsylvania was able to obtain a search warrant is nothing short of chilling, raising concerns about the university’s levels of surveillance over their very own students,” the group wrote. “It is clear that Penn Police intended to instill fear and intimidation amongst pro-Palestine organizing efforts on campus and throughout the city through this raid, representing the culmination of Penn’s increasingly draconian and escalated response to student activism on its campus.”
The open letter demanded Penn drop the vandalism investigation, investigate Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson and other DPS officers involved in the search, divest from Israel, support Palestinian students, "demilitariz[e]" Penn Police, repeal its temporary open expression guidelines, and initiate a vote of no confidence in the University administration.
“We loathe the lack of humanity and compassion demonstrated by the University administration,” the group wrote, adding that they will host an “organized teach-out” at Clark Park on Thursday afternoon to communicate “to the cowardly University administration that our bodies will not stand anywhere near their walkways until our demands are met.”
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia District Attorney's office previously wrote to the DP that it had “reviewed and approved a search warrant for a location in West Philadelphia” on Oct. 16 in connection with an "ongoing investigation" led by Penn Police and DPS, adding that no request to file charges had been filed at the time.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
