The encampment's eighth day opened with dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli rallies on Penn's campus, which eventually joined together for a demonstration on College Green — separated by barricades.
Police presence has increased in the area of the encampment this morning, including the formation of an increased barrier of barricades between the protesters and counterprotesters. Philadelphia Police, including the Counterterrorism Unit, have also been monitoring activity on College Green — a change from the PPD's very limited activity in the earlier days of the protest.
A pro-Israeli protest which began on the corner of 34th and Walnut streets marched to College Hall to deliver a petition asking Penn to end the encampment — signed by over 3000 Penn affiliates — to the office of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner also visited Penn's campus this morning for the third time since the encampment began. Krasner described the purpose of his visit as "to find out what the truth is," and said that he has attempted and failed to reach Jameson's office in the past week.
United States President Joe Biden also chimed in on the ongoing pro-Palestinian encampments across the United States in a press conference this morning, saying that there is "not the right to cause chaos."
Today has also featured the first two PennAlert notifications since the encampment started. The first, sent at 11:19 a.m., warned of a "large demonstration in the area of College Green" and told community members to use caution and avoid the immediate area. The second, sent at 11:50 a.m., said that the demonstration was continuing.
Eight Philadelphia Police Department vans, three PPD cars, and one Penn Police van are parked at the intersection of 34th and Walnut streets. The encampment is all quiet, and police presence has not increased on the ground.
Co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine and University of California at Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian spoke at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment around 9 p.m. on Thursday.
To a crowd of around 70 people, Bazian spoke for more than 20 minutes about Palestine, as well as student activism and its history. He also criticized the New York Police Department, which he compared to the size of the “national army” of some countries.
He also discussed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at American univerisites, and criticized their usage of “symbolic gestures.”
“We don’t want symbolic gestures,” he said. “We want substantive changes.”
Bazian also emphasized that multiple social justice movements “would not be where it was without the students.”
“You were right in the labor movement. You were right in the women’s movement. You were right during the Vietnam War. You were right during the free speech movement,” Bazian said. “And you are right … in Palestine, no matter what they say.”
A small group of counterprotesters played graphic footage from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a projector facing the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
A University spokesperson told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the University reached to out to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office seeking additional police resources to maintain safety on campus if needed.
Penn submitted a letter with their request after the Mayor's office asked for one, the spokesperson added. They also said that the mayor’s office requested additional information from Penn, and that the University is in the process of providing it.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, the Philadelphia Police Department wrote that they will provide support to Penn Police "as needed." Eric Gripp, the PPD's public information officer, added that — for “tactical purposes” — it cannot publicly discuss specific planning or engagement strategies related to ongoing situations.
“The PPD remains committed to facilitating safe demonstrations while ensuring the safety and upholding the First Amendment rights of all who live, work or visit our city,” Gripp wrote, adding that it has an agreement with Penn Police to maintain “effective cooperation” in situations requiring a police response.
“Our response will be based on the specific circumstances of each situation,” he added.
In a statement, a University spokesperson said that Penn has contacted the City of Philadelphia amid the ongoing Gaza Solidarity Encampment and related demonstrations.
“The University has been managing an encampment and surrounding protests on our campus for several days,” the spokesperson wrote. “Protest activity began to escalate overnight and has steadily continued, with large crowds in and around College Green today. We have reached out to the City of Philadelphia to ensure we have the necessary resources to keep our community safe.”
The spokesperson also wrote about last night's rally on College Green.
"The rally escalated at multiple times overnight and into the early morning hours, including defacement of Penn property, an unauthorized drone, and threatening rhetoric and chants. Penn Public Safety were on site to maintain order and ensure safety with the support of Philadelphia Police," the spokesperson said. "Penn Public Safety secured several surrounding administrative buildings, limiting access to PennCard holders only, as a precaution."
Penn asked the Philadelphia Police Department for immediate help to disband the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a source familiar told The Daily Pennsylvanian. However, PPD declined, asking that the University provide proof that the encampment — and the rally today, which is entering its fourth hour — presents an imminent danger.
Penn Public Safety recently issued its fourth UPenn Alert — the first alerts since the encampment started eight days ago.
It’s now four hours into this morning's “All Out for Gaza” rally which began at 10:30 a.m. near College Hall.
“The people, united, will never be defeated,” those assembled are chanting. Protesters have chanted and danced in front of the Ben Franklin statue, which has a keffiyeh and multiple signs adhered to it, without pausing.
There has been a notable decrease in the number of police and University administrators present.
The Division of Public Safety, however, has sent out two additional PennAlerts instructing those to “avoid the immediate area.” Since this morning, 4 PennAlerts related to the protest have been issued — the first PennAlerts issued since the encampment began last Thursday.
DPS has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the encampment.
More than 20 police officers, some of whom have zip tie handcuffs, have assembled along the front barricades. A barricade separates the statue from Locust Walk, where a large crowd of onlookers has assembled.
Protesters are singing “we shall not be moved” from the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall. Some stand on the statue while others sing around them with drums and signs.
Police physically confronted protestors after an organizer from the Gaza Solidarity Encampment hopped over barricades surrounding the Ben Franklin statue on College Green. The individual, holding a Palestinian flag, refused to come down after Penn Police officers asked him to leave.
A protester standing on the base of the statue was also forcibly removed by Penn Police officers, resulting in a physical clash between organizers and police officers.
Organizers knocked down all the barricades surrounding the statue and rushed the statue, linking arms around the base. Police fell back after the interaction.
This morning, President Joe Biden addressed the ongoing protests sweeping US college campuses — including Penn — in a three-minute speech from the White House.
In his remarks, he said that the ongoing protests had “put to the test two fundamental American principles,” those being the “right to free speech and for people to peacefully assemble” and “the rule of law” — and he said that “both must be upheld.”
While expressing support for “peaceful assembly,” and saying that “America is not an authoritarian nation,” he seemed to suggest that some campus protests had gone too far. “Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campus, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation; none of this is a peaceful protest,” Biden said.
While incidents of vandalism have occurred during the protests at Penn, including the spray painting of the Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall, Penn has yet to experience the same level of unrest which some other campuses have experienced.
Biden also condemned antisemitism and Islamophobia, calling them “simply wrong” and saying they had “no place in America.”
An “All out for Gaza” rally is entering its second hour on College Green as Penn's Class of 2025 celebrates Hey Day.
At the protest, which is taking place in front of the Benjamin Franklin statue, a crowd of around 100 are chanting and singing. A small crowd of counterprotestors has also assembled alongside a large crowd of police and bystanders.
“Liberation is our mission,” those assembled chant while others drum and dance.
Over the course of this morning’s demonstration, the Division of Public Safety has released two PennAlerts.
“Large demonstration continues. Police on scene, use caution, avoid the immediate area,” the second alert, which was issued at 11:50 a.m., reads.
Police presence increased late this morning on campus as dueling demonstrations of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and counterprotestors met on Locust Walk.
Police formed a barrier of barricades and bikes between the two sides, leaving approximately eight feet of space.
Philadelphia Police, including the Counterterrorism Unit, monitored activity on College Green for the duration of the events. Previously, very few city law enforcement officers had been present at the site of the encampment. The quantity of of Penn Police officers present was also heightened from previous days.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner visited Penn’s campus early in the eighth day of the encampment.
Krasner told The Daily Pennsylvanian that today was his third visit to Penn since the encampment began. The DP previously reported that Krasner visited the encampment with Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
“My job is to find out what the truth is,” Krasner said. “My job is not to get in the middle of what's happening between the University of Pennsylvania and its students. My job is to make sure I'm not being fed false information. It's to make sure that what I know is accurate.”
Krasner also told the DP that his office has “been fed false information,” but declined to comment on the subject and the source of such information.
He also said that he has tried to reach Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s office within the past week with no success — similar to state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) and Gauthier’s efforts.
Krasner declined to comment on whether anyone from Penn has requested help from the City of Philadelphia to control crowds or make arrests.
More than 25 demonstrators gathered at the corner of 34th and Walnut streets Thursday morning before marching to College Hall to deliver a petition to end the encampment — signed by over 3000 Penn affiliates — to Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s office.
College senior Eyal Yakoby, an organizer of the rally and the petition, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the goal of delivering the petition is to get the University to “see the stark difference” between approaches seen on campus recently.
“When one side wants change, we organize, we write a petition, we do things peacefully and respectfully,” he said. “The other side is refusing to leave, is squatting on University property, and harassing students. And so if the University administration wants to protect its students, then it's time to protect its students now.”
At the rally, Yakoby — along with Penn Medicine professor Benjamin Abella and Wharton senior Isaac Blue — read out the letter, noting that it has been signed by 3,182 students, faculty, and alumni. The gathered group then marched down 34th Street, past Fisher Fine Arts Library, and up to the side door of College Hall, at which point Yakoby and Abella entered the building to deliver the petition.
Abella told the crowd that they handed the documents to “senior University officials,” who “said to us verbally” that Jameson would receive the letter today.
“We are hopeful that the University will do the right thing,” Abella told the DP. “That they will tell the encampment that they can protest, but they must not have hate speech and they must not threaten and if they do so, they need to be removed.”
A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn Public Safety removed an individual "who had allegedly sprayed a sulfur-based 'stink' spray in the encampment."
Low level exposure to sulfur-based substances can cause mild symptoms such as headaches or eye irritation.
The statement added that no injuries were reported and that the individual was charged with "disorderly conduct and harassment."
At 8 p.m., a group of around 200 people gathered around the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall, removing the barriers around it. Protesters verbally described their actions as "retaking" the statue.
Three people spoke at the rally, including a member of Temple University Students for Justice in Palestine. One student organizer emphasized the unity of the encampment despite alleged attempts by administration to "spread rumors about a divided camp."
A Palestinian flag and a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine flag were both waved from the statue throughout the demonstration.
A counterprotester with a speaker and microphone sang at a high volume, interrupting the protest. Protesters continued to chant, and neither group engaged with one another. At one point, the counterprotester replaced the words to the song "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift with the words "bombers gonna bomb, bomb, bomb."
Around 10 police officers were present during the demonstration.
According to Allied Security guards at the front desk of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, Penn Police have locked down the building. Students may leave the building, but no students may enter. It is unclear when the lockdown will end.
The DP has contacted the University for comment. Two hours ago, guards described a system problem and asked people to show their PennCard directly. The same guards are now describing the stricter monitoring of entrances and departures as a lockdown.
As over 150 protesters rally on College Green, an email from the 2025 Class Board announced that Hey Day — an annual tradition meant to honor the rising senior class — was relocated.
The final ceremony of Hey Day, which normally takes place on College Green, will now take place at Annenberg Plaza, according to the email. Students will still engage in a procession along Locust Walk beforehand, but the procession will conclude before reaching the site of the encampment.
Earlier today, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that Final Toast — an annual event to celebrate the senior class, which usually takes place adjacent to Hey Day on College Green — was moved to Shoemaker Green.
Pro-Palestinian protesters moved over barricades surrounding the Gaza Solidarity Encampment during an 8 p.m. rally at the Ben Franklin Statue on College Green.
"Hey hey, ho ho, Zionists have got to go," the protesters chanted as they surrounded the Ben Franklin statue, which now holds a Palestinian flag. A person atop the statue is currently leading the crowd in chants.
The Freedom School for Palestine announced an “All out for Gaza and the student Intifada” rally to take place at the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall at 8 p.m.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Freedom School criticized the violence used against student protesters at universities across the country. They wrote that the NYPD had subjected student protesters at Columbia University to “the most atrocious examples of violence,” and that “police-empowered Zionist mobs” had “attacked” the Gaza Solidarity Encampments at the University of California at Los Angeles.
“The use of chemical weaponry, intimidation tactics, suppression of press, the soliciting of armed mob violence is a daily reality for Palestinians and colonized people alike,” the statement reads.
The statement concludes by calling students to action.
“As students in the belly of the beast, it is imperative that we remain unflustered like the people of Palestine in the face of aggression,” it reads. "Our demands remain: Disclose, Divest, Defend."
Related:Dave McCormick, the Republican nominee for United States Senate in Pennsylvania running against Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), visited the encampment on Penn’s campus on Wednesday. He briefly spoke with College senior Eyal Yakoby about the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
McCormick told The Daily Pennsylvanian he would consider removing federal funding from Penn based on its response to antisemitism on campus.
“Making [funding] contingent, certainly, on a type of environment that’s explicitly antisemitic? It doesn’t seem like too hard of a bar to establish,” he said.
McCormick also added that universities should be “held to account to create an environment where there’s not sanctioned bigotry.”
“I’m not against peaceful protests,” McCormick said. “I’m against explicit calls for violence. I’m against a lot of the things that are happening right across the sidewalk [at the encampment].”
In a statement on Instagram, Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine responded to the incident of an individual walking through the encampment and spraying an unknown odorous substance around the encampment early this afternoon. The statement identified the substance as “a dilute sulfurous solution, similar to skunk spray.”
“Today's incident occurred in the backdrop of counter protesters engaging in harassment and violence at encampments all around the country,” the statement read.
PAO wrote that the individual was “allowed” to walk through the encampment for “quite some time” before police responded.
The post also criticized recent police activity at university campus encampments across the country, including Penn Police’s response to a counterprotestor who was arrested after bringing two knives into Sunday’s “Seder in the Streets” on College Green.
“After all, violence against the oppressed who dare to resist is instinctual for institutions that ally themselves with the Zionist state,” PAO contended.
The post concluded by asking, “Once again, we ask our administrators, whose safety is really at stake?”
Final Toast, an annual celebration of the senior class, has been moved to Shoemaker Green, according to an Instagram story post on the Class of 2024's Instagram page.
The event, which will take place tomorrow at 11 a.m., was originally scheduled for College Green.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier visited the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green around 2 p.m.
They spoke to student organizers and legal observers on the edge of the encampment before holding a brief press conference. Gauthier and Krasner were told by a legal observer that students in the encampment did not want them to enter. The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to determine the reason.
A student organizer in the encampment described to Krasner and Gauthier the spray incident from earlier today, when an unknown individual was detained after he walked through the encampment and sprayed an odorous unknown substance on signs. A student organizer also said that the individual sprayed the unknown substance on the encampment’s food.
This marks Krasner’s first visit to the encampment. At the press conference, he said that he was there to “check in and do a little fact finding” and clarified that he does not have an active role in any negotiations related to the encampment. He said that he has been receiving “various reports” and wants to ensure that they are “correct truth.”
When asked about safety given clashes between protesters and counter protesters at Columbia University and University of California at Los Angeles, Krasner brought up Brown University, where students voluntarily took down their encampment after administrators agreed to discuss and vote on divestment from companies connected to the Israeli military.
Krasner added that his job was to uphold the Constitution.
“The First Amendment comes from here, this is Philadelphia, we don’t have to do stupid like they did at Columbia,” Krasner said. “What we should be doing here is upholding our tradition of being a welcoming, inviting city, where people say things, even if other people don’t like them.”
Gauthier said that she does not want there to be arrests for protesting or any use of force to dismantle the encampment.
“I came here to support the students, they have a right to protest, they have a right to free speech,” Gauthier said. “And I’m hoping that Penn recognizes that.”
According to Gauthier, despite efforts to reach out to Interim Penn President Larry Jameson to express that sentiment, he has not made himself available. She encouraged Jameson and Penn administrators to negotiate with the students in good faith and said that the best way to “resolve the encampment” was through direct communication with the people protesting.
Gauthier’s chief of staff visited the encampment on Friday to offer solidarity on her behalf.
Krasner left the encampment around 2:20 p.m., and Gauthier left around 2:35 p.m. after speaking briefly with Penn Police.
Penn students, faculty, and staff are set to hand-deliver a petition to end the Gaza Solidarity Encampment to the office of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson tomorrow morning, according to a post obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian.
A group will gather at the corner of 34th and Walnut streets at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow to "march to College Green and formally present the petition to remove the encampment and enforce Penn policies," according to the post.
The petition was first circulated on Monday and calls for Jameson and the University to break up the encampment, citing his Friday evening email calling for it to disband. So far, it has collected over 2,000 signatures, according to the post, which also encourages participants to bring American, Penn, and Israeli flags.
The open letter argues that protesters' actions violate Penn's Open Expression Guidelines "and state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act," which prohibits discrimination in activities or programs that receive federal funding.
"This has been a difficult year at Penn; we hoped that heading into the Spring semester, Penn changed its course and prioritized safety and academic achievement," the letter reads. "We are extremely disappointed that Penn continues down the dangerous path. We are committed to restoring this university to the prestigious institution it once was."
An unknown individual was detained after he walked through the encampment and sprayed an odorous unknown substance on signs in the encampment.
Protesters followed the individual, chanting “stop spraying pesticides on our fucking signs” until he walked out of the encampment.
When he exited the encampment, the individual was handcuffed and detained for investigation by Penn’s Division of Public Safety.
College sophomore Eliana Atienza, who spoke to the DP on behalf of a “coalition that is currently running this encampment,” criticized the police response to the incident.
“He came into our encampment, targeted the food directly; sprayed our food, our tents, our signs,” she said. “The man continued his conduct as police watched and let it happen.”
Encampment members, who put on gloves, are now wiping containers of food with wipes.
A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn Public Safety removed an individual "who had allegedly sprayed a sulfur-based 'stink' spray in the encampment."
The statement added that no injuries were reported and that the individual was charged with "disorderly contact and harassment."
Shortly after noon, a police officer and Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Michael Morrin — who was wearing a Philadelphia Police armband — removed pro-Palestinian banners placed overnight on the barriers surrounding the encampment.
While they cut zip ties and metal ties from the barriers, five Philadelphia Police officers arrived on bike on Locust Walk.
Members of the encampment started chanting “Free, free Palestine,” and “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.” Some demonstrators yelled “F**k the police” when the police officers approached the barriers.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier wrote that “[s]tudents have a right to speak freely and organize peacefully,” and that Penn is obligated to allow them to do so.
Gauthier — who represents Penn in the Philadelphia City Council — had not been able to reach Interim Penn President Larry Jameson as of April 29, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. According to her office’s statement to the DP, this is still the case.
“We made an effort to have a conversation with the University before issuing every one of our public statements,” the spokesperson wrote. “This lapse in communication is unusual and concerning, especially considering the Councilmember’s close and regular working relationship with the University of Pennsylvania.”
A source familiar told the DP on Monday that Gauthier met with Penn’s Vice President of Government and Community Affairs Jeffrey Cooper, and that the University has received a statement signed by Gauthier, several Philadelphia-area politicians, and the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
“The University of Pennsylvania students who live on campus are the Councilmember’s constituents,” Gauthier’s spokesperson wrote. “The Councilmember expects the University of Pennsylvania to effectively engage in conversations with local elected officials about public situations such as the encampment.”
Additionally, the spokesperson wrote that Gauthier is expected to visit the Gaza Solidarity Encampment this afternoon.
Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine has issued a statement on Instagram reaffirming their commitment to the encampment after a second meeting with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. last night.
"We, as the Philadelphia-wide Gaza Solidarity Encampment, reaffirm that we will not enter negotiations until the administration agrees to the following stipulations," they wrote.
These stipulations include the withdrawing of the disciplinary proceedings opened yesterday by the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, no police presence in the encampment, no threats of eviction, to "address provocation and instigation against the encampment," to explain any potential Guidelines on Open Expression violations before checking IDs, and to "reestablish the autonomy and independence of the committee on open expression from administration."
"Instead of coming to an agreement regarding these stipulations, the administration hid behind alleged safety violations," PAO wrote in the statement. "We ask, when we think of safety, who is the administration prioritizing?"
The statement referred to a moment on Sunday when a pro-Israel protester entered the "Seder in the Streets" event — which was held across from the encampment on College Green — armed with a knife, as well as "the students and community members on your lawn, [whose] families are being genocided in Gaza" as two of the group's safety concerns.
"While the University drags its feet, we remain steadfast and our demands will not change," PAO wrote in the statement. "Until our demands are met, this encampment will not move and neither will the community in it."
The Executive Committee of the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors released a statement Tuesday night alleging that the University has “repress[ed]” nonviolent protest” at Penn and that administrators have “threatened to clear the encampment on Wednesday.”
In the statement — which was sent to Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma, the Faculty Senate Tri-Chairs, and the chair of the Committee on Open Expression — the committee outlined several alleged “abuses” of Penn’s open expression guidelines. The statement claims that “we are witnessing an Orwellian situation.”
In a section titled “This Week’s Abuses of the Guidelines on Open Expression,” the Executive Committee alleges violations of Penn’s open expression guidelines over the past three days.
On April 28, the statement alleges, the University violated open expression policies in a way that was “wholly inappropriate” by “distributed threatening and misleading documents to students on behalf of the university administration.” These letters told students that they “must provide identification when asked by University officials.”
The statement also made note of the “anticipatory guidance” that was released by the Committee on Open Expression on April 29. The guidance, the Executive Committee wrote, “authoriz[ed] the administration to do a number of things that the Guidelines on Open Expression do not themselves authorize.”
The anticipatory guidelines state that Penn “affirms, supports, and cherishes the concepts of freedom of thought, inquiry, speech, and lawful assembly.” They also state that the substance of expressed views “is not an appropriate basis” for any restriction or encouragement.
The statement also criticized the “exclusive power” the Vice Provost for University Life has “to decide when the guidelines have been violated.”
“The unilateral power of VPUL to interpret and enforce the Guidelines is indicative of the general problem of university governance that we have seen this year,” the statement reads. “By design, faculty, staff, and students do not have real power to make and enforce university policies to protect our rights to academic freedom.”
Penn’s open expression guidelines state that the vice provost has the “authority to determine if the guidelines are being violated by any member of the University community.”
Moving forward, the Committee wrote, “the administration must end its attempts to shut down the encampment on specious grounds.”
Voting on the Muslim Student Association’s referendum has been extended until May 3, according to an email sent to students by the Nominations & Elections Committee.
The referendum’s voting period was originally scheduled to close on May 1. The referendum asks students to vote on whether the University should divest from companies and organizations that “profit from, engage in, or contribute to the government of Israel’s human rights violations,” disclose all investments held through its endowment fund, and cut ties with Ghost Robotics.
Some students had expressed reservations about the limited voting period, since the original closing date meant that those observing Passover would have had less time to cast their votes.
The Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee has created a petition for its own referendum in response to MSA’s. They are currently seeking signatures to bring it to the NEC for verification.
Related:
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee met for a “special meeting” yesterday to discuss the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
According to published meeting minutes, the group asked questions to Provost John Jackson Jr. and Vice Provost for Faculty Laura Perna and engaged in discussions, though “no action was adopted.”
“While SEC members hold differing views about the encampment, SEC members present concurred that the main objective for University administration should be to deescalate tensions and to find a negotiated resolution to this conflict without rushing to conclusions,” the minutes read.
The group also brainstormed alternatives to “assist the administration in checking students IDs without recording names or ID numbers.”
Earlier today, administrators entered the encampment around noon and took several photos of those inside, prompting chants of “shame” from participants.
Administrators also asked those in the encampment to procure ID, allegedly telling those assembled that if they did not procure a PennCard they could risk referral to the Center for Community Standards and Accountability.
The minutes also mentioned upcoming events, stating that “every effort should be made to hold Commencement and other customary year-end activities, even if the locations of those activities must be moved.”
Related:
University administrators told encampment organizers that the protesters were creating an “unsafe environment,” an organizer told encampment participants.
The organizer said that in a meeting, administrators did not indicate that they would agree to the encampment’s demands. The University said that they would consider creating a task force to address the situation if the encampment did not move, according to the organizer.
“We brought up, what about the antagonizers who doxxed us, harassed us, who made the environment unsafe for us,” the organizer said. “What about the Zionists who come and scream extremely inflammatory statements and continue to make this space an unsafe environment for Palestinians, Muslims, and people of color.”
He said that administrators expressed concern for people studying in the library.
“F**k your library,” the organizer told the crowd, eliciting cheers. The organizer added that the University said they did not want to create a “fetish” out of the encampment — “admin’s words, not mine,” he said.
“The entire University is built on stolen land, and it funnels engineers, it funnels talent to go to the U.S. war machine to commit a war crime,” he said.
The organizers proceeded to lead the protesters in several chants, including “Liberation is our mission, no more bombs with our tuition” and “Larry, Larry, what do you say, how many boots did you lick today.”
Pro-Palestinian alumni are pledging to withhold donations from Penn until the University divests from Israel’s war in Gaza.
In an open letter to Interim Penn President Larry Jameson released Tuesday, Penn Alumni for Palestine said they would stop giving money to Penn until all of their demands are met.
“We cannot stand idly by and watch these conditions persist any longer,” the group wrote, referencing the number of casualties since the Israel-Hamas war began and that the International Court of Justice “determined that there is a ‘real and imminent risk’ that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza” on Jan. 26.
The letter identified Penn Alumni for Palestine as a collective of alumni, parents, and students.
“In the context of an ongoing genocide and an ethnic cleansing campaign, we urge the Penn community – alumni, parents, and current students – to support the call for divestment from Israel’s illegal occupation and widely recognized system of apartheid,” they wrote.
The group is demanding that Penn issue a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza; “disassociate and divest” from all companies that “profit from or engage” in Israel’s military campaign; “disclose and terminate” any Penn research on war weapons funded by the Department of Defense, including Ghost Robotics; cease “academic or cultural association” with Israeli institutions and businesses; and protect students, faculty, and staff “who risk retaliatory threats to their employment and safety while exercising their right to criticize the state of Israel.”
“Until our demands are met, we pledge to withhold any and all donations to Penn,” the letter concludes.
As of time of publication, the letter had over 50 signatures.
Related:An encampment member announced over a megaphone that Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and "negotiators" were meeting, and said that the meeting would end at 6 p.m.
Moments prior, representatives from the Division of Public Safety requested to do a fire and safety sweep of the encampment, according to an announcement by an encampment member.
The search has not yet taken place.
Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine released a statement alleging that members of Penn administration “entered the encampment with video recording equipment and began requesting to see Penn IDs [and then] attempted to record anyone who refused to show identification.”
The statement alleges that V.B.4 of the Guidelines on Open Expression were violated in this process. The guideline states that “[any] observer or Committee representative who attends a meeting, event or demonstration shall respect the privacy of those involved,” and that it holds “[if] there has been no violation of these Guidelines, other University regulations, or applicable laws."
The identification check, which the statement called a "surprise," comes after University administration served “select members of the encampment” with disciplinary notifications through the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, according to the statement.
PAO also wrote that members of the encampment had not turned over identification, “which implies that [the] CSA letters were issued to students based solely on the administration’s ability to recognize [them].”
The Daily Pennsylvanian could not confirm all of the allegations listed in the statement.
PAO’s statement also referenced the “notice of trespass” flyers which were posted on barriers, light poles, and other surfaces within close distance of the encampment.
“These attempts at flyering are used by Penn’s administration to intimidate all members of our encampment and distract non-Penn affiliated persons from their right to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” it reads.
Tour guides for the Kite and Key Society — Penn’s official tour guides — have been directed to reroute their tours to avoid College Green, where the encampment is located, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source added that, rather than proceeding along Locust Walk — as is the case for the normal tour route and which would continue past the encampment — tour guides were instructed to walk along Walnut Street for a portion of the route. This route would re-enter campus near the Annenberg School for Communication.
Associate Vice Provost for University Life Tamara Greenfield King notified members of the encampment that signage and hanging posters on trees in front of College Hall was a violation of University policy. Shortly after, demonstrators started chanting, “Free, free Palestine.”
As of 4 p.m., no signage or posters have been visibly removed from trees on the encampment. Examples of signage include “Ceasefire now” and “Anti-zionism is not anti-semitism.”
Related:Penn confirmed that it has opened disciplinary cases into several students participating in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green.
A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn has “clearly communicated” that encampment participants “are in violation of the University’s policies.” The University is “checking IDs in accordance with Penn’s Open Expression Guidelines,” according to the statement.
The spokesperson added that “several student disciplinary cases” have been opened through the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, and that faculty and staff violations “will follow the relevant disciplinary processes.”
“These actions, while unfortunate, are necessary,” the spokesperson wrote.
According to the Guidelines on Open Expression, when the vice provost for University Life or a delegate “declares that an individual or a group has violated the Guidelines, he or she may request to examine their University identification.” Office of Student Affairs Executive Director Katie Bonner, who wore identification as a University Life delegate earlier today, entered the encampment to ask students for their PennCards.
Related:In a Tuesday morning press conference announcing an expansion of Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Breads, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was asked if he has been in contact with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and other University presidents in Pennsylvania.
He described being in “close contact” with administrators at Pennsylvania colleges and universities but said he would not discuss the details of those communications.
“I will repeat what I’ve said before: People have a right to peacefully protest, whether I agree with their point of view or not,” he said. “They don’t have a right to break the laws.”
Shapiro added that universities have a responsibility to enforce their own rules — suggesting a lack of interest of taking any response to the encampment into the state’s hands.
“While folks are peacefully protesting, and even if they have honest differences with the policy in the Middle East, those protests cannot be used as an excuse to spread antisemitism in our communities, or Islamophobia, for that matter,” Shapiro said at the conference.
Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, called on University leaders to maintain student safety in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian on April 26.
Several flags, including the Palestinian flag and a Mozambican flag with the writing "Mozambique stands with Palestine," have been displayed throughout the five days of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States Department of State — was also seen carried in the encampment on at least one occasion Tuesday afternoon, and remains present in the encampment.
The DP could not confirm the identity of the individual carrying the PFLP flag.
Various programming is scheduled to take place at the encampment today, including multiple teach-ins, according to an Instagram story from Penn Against the Occupation.
A “medical apartheid” teach-in took place at 11 a.m. and an “encampment health and well-being teach-in” at 12 p.m. A “representation in media” teach-in will begin at 2 p.m., followed by a “sustainable activism and community care” teach-in at 3 p.m. and a “Black freedom songs sing along” at 5 p.m.
Penn administrators entered the encampment around noon on Thursday and took several photos of those inside, prompting chants of “shame” from participants.
Administrators also asked those in the encampment to procure ID, allegedly telling those assembled that if they did not procure a PennCard they could risk referral to Community Standards and Accountability.
Associate Vice Provosts for University Life Tamara Greenfield King and Sharon Smith, and Office of Student Affairs Executive Director Katie Bonner, walked into the central area of tents and took photos of several people inside the encampment using their phones.
One of the Penn officials told groups of participants in the encampment that anyone who declined to provide their PennCards would be considered trespassers. No participant showed their PennCard.
An individual in the encampment described the interaction as “harassing,” and added that it appears administrators are continuing to try and divide the encampment into two groups: those who hold PennCards and those who do not.
After University administrators left the encampment, an individual on a megaphone suggested that Penn students in the encampment put on masks.
The interaction marks another step in increased tensions between those in the encampment and University officials. It is unclear if this is a step towards officials asking those on College Green for identification, as has been warned by Penn officials.
In an April 27 statement, organizers wrote that they “will continue to occupy this space” until the encampment’s demands are met — signaling that they will not comply with a Friday night demand to disband the encampment.
Related:Three Penn students involved in organizing for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green received disciplinary hearing notices from the University’s Center for Community Standards and Accountability. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the students received an email from CSA at around 5 p.m. on Monday.
Notice letters are the first step in disciplinary cases against students who have “violated University rules.” The CSA website “strongly recommends” recipients seek an advisor — who can be a “University faculty member, staff member, or student in good academic and disciplinary standing.”
A notice letter does not indicate that the student has been “charged” with anything at this time, according to the University website. A College junior and encampment organizer told the Inquirer that the letters sent on Monday alleged that the three students violated Penn’s Open Expression Guidelines, noting the students’ involvements in “pitching tents, hanging signs, staying on [College Green] overnight” rather than individual actions.
Following the notice letter, CSA conducts disciplinary hearings, witness interviews and documentation review. The organizer told the Inquirer that hearings for all three students are currently scheduled for May 2.
Jeffrey Cooper, Penn's vice president of governmental affairs, met with Councilmember Jamie Gauthier — who represents Penn — earlier today, a source familiar told The Daily Pennsylvanian. The source also confirmed that Penn has received the Saturday letter from Gauthier, six other Philadelphia-area politicians, and the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
The letter called on Penn to refrain from taking disciplinary action against peaceful demonstrations on campus.
The source added that Interim Penn President Larry Jameson is putting his attention toward resolving the ongoing situation on College Green.
The encampment has been quiet throughout the evening, with some participants watching a movie at the back of College Green.
New chalking has been drawn in front of the Ben Franklin statue, including the phrases “Anti-Zionism is not anti-semitism — not in our name” and “They tried to bury us but didn’t know we were seeds.”
Committee on Open Expression Chair Lisa Bellini shared “anticipatory guidance” for demonstrations with The Daily Pennsylvanian — guidance which she said was provided to Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. on April 26.
The Guidelines discuss the possibility of asking for Penn IDs in University locations "in some circumstances related to safety and its enforcement authority."
"Free expression rights on campus may be restricted to those with Penn IDs, with appropriate notice provided to the Committee on Open Expression," the document says. "Non-university affiliated persons may have less expansive rights of open expression in University locations than those who are members of the Penn community."
According to the document, checking Penn IDs for safety concerns "ordinarily" does not include making a record of the information for disciplinary purposes. It adds that officials who request identification for "purposes of a possible disciplinary action" must give notice of doing so at the time of the request.
Read more about the guidelines and what they reveal about Penn's policies
Related:House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) expressed strong opposition to pro-Palestinian encampments across the country in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
"Illegal actions must have consequences. It's that simple," Foxx wrote.
Specifically, Foxx opposed the "amnesty" schools such as Barnard College have issued to protesters, and wrote that it "contributes the degradation of our civil society."
"The inmates are truly running the asylum," she wrote.
Foxx's committee is currently investigating Penn over alleged instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.
A crowd of approximately 20 people gathered around a single counterprotestor standing in front of the Ben Franklin statue on College green, holding a large Israeli flag bearing the words “Pray for Israel.”
The individual, who identified himself as a "Christian Zionist," continuously yelled rhetoric in opposition to Hamas, drawing the attention of students passing by and protestors in the encampment. He engaged in a long speech, in which he said “Do we all oppose the rape and murder of innocent people? We all agree that that's wrong?” and “You need to honor God. You need to obey God. The god of the Bible, the god of Israel. The god is the creator.”
Sonya Gwak, a University Open Expression observer, intervened and asked the counterprotestor to move behind the barricades on the opposite side of Locust Walk, citing a violation of “rules of engagement.” Individuals standing nearby spoke up in his defense, saying he was “only one person” and asking Gwak why she did not ask protestors from the encampment to lower their volume when they were chanting. Gwak declined to answer.
Three Penn students, who identified themselves as Zionists, told passersby who spoke up in the counterprotestor’s defense that the individual was “not a good guy” and “not Jewish.”
Joseph Hochberg, a College junior and Jewish student, expressed his opposition to the counterprotestor, noting that “[the counterprotestor] was saying some things that were really true and needed to be talked about, but he was doing it in a horribly unproductive way.”
Hochberg noted that he and other Penn students came to College Green “to seek out meaningful civil conversations even if we don't agree on things, and we actually accomplished it,” and that the counterprotestor made “their cause look bad.”
The individual declined to move, despite repeated requests and explanations from Gwak, and continued to speak at a loud volume. Individuals from the encampment held up tarps around the counterprotestor, but were told by police the individual was exercising his First Amendment rights.
A spokesperson for 2013 Engineering graduate and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) said Krajewski — who represents Penn and has been present at multiple days of the encampment — “has also asked to have a meeting with [Interim Penn President Larry Jameson], and has not been successful yet.”
This comes after The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose district includes Penn, said that she has been unable to reach Jameson. Gauthier told the Inquirer that she was told that Jameson did not have time to talk to politicians.
A form titled “Letter to UPenn Leadership Regarding Recent Events on Campus” was sent out on Monday afternoon, calling for the immediate disbanding of the encampment on College Green in accordance with the demands listed by Interim Penn President Larry Jameson in Friday's University Notification.
The letter references a list of chants the encampment has repeated since its formation, including “Al Qassam make us proud, take another soldier down” and “Globalize the intifada.” It also cites instances of graffiti, chalk, and vandalism in the vicinity of the encampment. The letter also alleges that students have been followed home at night by protesters, told various slurs, and fled campus in “tens” due to feeling unsafe.
The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to independently verify all of the allegations in the letter.
"This has been a difficult year at Penn; we hoped that heading into the Spring semester, Penn changed its course and prioritized safety and academic achievement," the letter reads. "We are extremely disappointed that Penn continues down the dangerous path. We are committed to restoring this university to the prestigious institution it once was."
The letter concludes by emphasizing a commitment to “restore and preserve the integrity and safety of our university” and a trust in the administration to “act swiftly to resolve these issues and reaffirm its commitment to the well-being of its community.”
In a statement to the DP, College senior Eyal Yakoby called the letter "great," adding that "President Jameson said himself they are violating university policy."
"[Muslim Student Association] wrote a resolution for UA to divest from Israel. That is a non-violent way to protest and try to create change," Yakoby wrote. "Harassing students, graffiti, and chanting in favor of Hamas is not."
At a Monday news conference, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said that he was aware of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and took students’ First Amendment rights “very seriously,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It is part of my sworn oath to uphold the Constitution,” Krasner said. “The very First Amendment to the Constitution is about free speech rights and about the opportunity for people to be heard. The opportunity for people to be heard is certainly a much better idea than not to let them be heard and to have them respond in other ways.”
"But having said that, all justice is individual,” he said. “If there is probable cause for a commission of a crime, then there is a basis for charges. And that has always been our North Star, is what are the facts.”
However, he did not comment on whether he would prosecute students who were charged with crimes related to the encampment. This comes after signs were posted Monday morning around the encampment saying that it violated certain parts of city code.
U-Night, a sophomore tradition that has historically taken place on College Green, has been relocated to the High Rise Green. The event, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow evening, was established in 2019 as a way to celebrate students reaching the halfway point of their University experience.
The updated location was shared by the 2026 Class Board in an email sent out to Penn sophomores.
Penn’s policy dictates that individuals breach Open Expression Guidelines if they unreasonably interfere with others' activities. Factors such as time of day, demonstration size, noise level, and overall atmosphere are considered in “whether conduct is reasonable.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to determine whether the change was due to the presence of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, and members of the 2026 Class Board did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the relocation.
Shortly before 10 a.m., a truck arrived to power wash chalk illustrations off the ground in front of the Ben Franklin statue.
Meanwhile, multiple high-level administrators — including Office of Student Affairs Executive Director Katie Bonner — remain near the Split Button. Fire marshals have also arrived back at the encampment.
“At this point I would say that the members of the COE have had a near continuous presence at the encampment since it began,” Committee on Open Expression Chair and Perelman School of Medicine professor Lisa Bellini wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “We are interacting with students, advisors, and university administrators regularly.”
In a statement posted to Instagram, Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine confirmed that no arrests were made at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment overnight. They thanked the protesters, people from “every corner of this city,” that showed up to the encampment after their call for support last night.
“Because of our collective will and strength, we were able to call the administration’s bluff, resist the panic they intended to set in, and win this first battle,” the statement read.
The statement also doubled down on the protesters’ refusal to show identification, despite the University’s “credible threats” of requiring Penn identification and of “mass arrest.” They write that this collective decision will keep the encampment from being “arbitrarily” divided.
“We will refuse any attempt to splinter our movement into student and non-student, Penn or non-Penn, that would seek to enforce a false separation between the university and the rest of the city on Penn’s terms,” the statement reads.
The Committee on Open Expression’s distribution of letters to students participating in the pro-Palestinian encampment was “wholly inappropriate,” Penn professor Amy Offner wrote in an email to Chair Lisa Bellini.
On Sunday evening, encampment participants received a notice on a University letterhead reiterating threats of disciplinary action. The leaflets were distributed by History professor Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, a faculty member on the COE.
The COE document quotes Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s Friday email threatening “sanctions consistent with our due process procedures” if the encampment is not disbanded.
However, Offner wrote to Bellini, Jameson, and other Penn administrators that the document was a “misrepresentation” of the Guidelines on Open Expression, given that they do not allow administrators to ask students to provide identification.
“It is shocking to me that last night, your Committee on Open Expression, under your direct supervision, actively participated in the same violations of students’ rights,” Offner wrote.
In an email obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Offner specifically alleged that the COE document demonstrated a lack of adherence to Part V.B.4 and Part I.D of the guidelines, which demand that the privacy of demonstrators is maintained in demonstrations which do not violate the guidelines, and that the guidelines take precedence over all other Penn policies “in cases of conflict.”
PennCards “should be carried at all times and presented upon the request of any University official,” according to the University’s identification card policy.
“The Committee on Open Expression has contributed to a dangerous and counterproductive escalation,” Offner wrote. “The only way to reverse that is by publicly stating that the Committee retracts the threats it issued last night and will refrain from delivering any future threats on behalf of the administration.”
Offner said that the COE’s document has contributed to the expectation that encampment participants are expecting arrest and will be judged if they do not comply with anticipated checks for PennCards.
Related:
Several high-level administrators have gathered adjacent to the encampment as of 7:05 a.m. Monday morning. The administrators briefly interacted with a member of Penn Police.
These administrators include Associate Vice Provosts for University Life Tamara Greenfield King, and Sharon Smith, Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson, and Office of Student Affairs Director Katie Bonner.
Overnight, at least a dozen “notice of trespass” flyers have been posted on barriers, light poles, and other surfaces within close distance of the encampment.
“You are not authorized to use the area of 3400 Woodland Walk, the area encompassing College Green, or any other areas deemed private by the University of Pennsylvania, to erect a tent or other structure, or to otherwise encamp or stay, at this location,” the flyers, which are dated April 28, read.
It remains unclear who posted the notices, though members of Penn Police remained present around the encampment as of sunrise Monday morning.
The flyer also says that initial notice of “trespassing” violations was made following a University-wide email from Interim President Larry Jameson on Friday, describing “your activities” as violating University policy, state law, and local law.
The specific parts of Philadelphia code that are described to have been violated are Titles 4 and 14, which prohibit the erection of tents and other structures without permits and outdoor living accommodations.
Related:Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment is entering a fifth day on College Green, despite warnings of identification checks and disciplinary action last night.
In the evening, encampment members received a notice on a University letterhead reiterating threats of disciplinary action. The leaflets were distributed by history professor Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, a faculty member on the Committee on Open Expression.
The document quotes Interim Penn President Larry Jameson's Friday email threatening “sanctions consistent with our due process procedures” if the encampment is not disbanded.
The document continues to say that “Penn community members must provide identification when asked by University officials,” and promises that “[p]rompt compliance” would be a “mitigating factor in any disciplinary proceedings.”
Earlier in the night, an encampment organizer announced over a megaphone that identification checks would begin within an hour — a prediction which never came to fruition. A Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine post on Instagram also said that arrests were "imminent."
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a University spokesperson wrote that "representatives from Open Expression communicated Penn's identification policies and informed the protestors of their obligation to comply with these policies." It also acknowledged a Saturday night meeting between Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and encampment participants.
A student activist and member of the encampment told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they plan to stand together and "refuse to show IDs" if asked to do so.
Related:
The Split Button in front of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library was vandalized with marker. The writing read “Boo Penn! Free Gaza!” “Free Palestine,” and “Penn funds genocide.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian could not confirm if the vandal was a member of the encampment.
Officers from the Division of Public Safety were seen attempting to remove the writing from the statue around midnight. Most of the writing has been removed. Officers took pictures of the writing.
After a period of chanting, an organizer announced over the megaphone that the Gaza Solidarity Encampment had not heard anything from Penn administrators.
“We have got them scared,” the speaker said.
They also announced they would be hosting an encampment town hall on the east side of College Green at 11:30 p.m. “as a collective” to discuss next steps.
College junior and student activist Sophia Rosser told The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn administrators have been attempting to draw a line between PennCard holders and Philadelphia community members. Rosser added that organizers were told administrators will come within the hour to check identification, and that encampment members plan not to show them.
“Our plan right now is that we’re going to stand together and refuse to show IDs,” Rosser said, confirming that the refusal is an arrestable offense and the protesters plan to stay on College Green until demands are met. In the event of arrests, she said that organizers will re-evaluate whether to continue the encampment after “whatever happens.”
“People ask me if I’m worried about consequences or disciplinary consequences like we’ve seen at other campuses, but I think at the end of the day, whatever repression we face here pales in comparison to what people face in Gaza,” Rosser said. “Every university has been razed to the ground while we have access to an overwhelming amount of food thanks to generous donations. Many of us go home to sleep in our warm beds at night while people in Gaza are buried under rubble."
Rosser added that organizers are concerned that individuals who have been previously disciplined by the administration or who are wearing political identifiers, such as keffiyehs, might be targeted. It is a "known fact" that the University tracks pro-Palestinian organizers, she said.
“Myself and a few other people were identified when we hosted a study-in a few months ago, and we were told by CSA that we were identified because of our previous activism," she said. “They keep track of who the main organizers are and put them through disciplinary processes to slow down any organizing by taking out the organizers.”
Rosser said that Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine has been “instrumental” in the encampment's organizing, explaining that faculty support adds a degree of credibility with University administration. Several PFJP members are observing tonight in support.
Rosser said that a University handout distributed at the encampment earlier that evening, as well as a conversation with organizers yesterday, served as the first warning regarding disciplinary action. She criticized Jameson for his email sent Friday — which said that Penn had notified protesters of "legal and policy violations" — and reaffirmed that no University officials contacted organizers before the email was sent.
She encouraged everyone in the Penn community to "join us and come support" the encampment.
"Tonight, representatives from Open Expression communicated Penn's identification policies and informed the protestors of their obligation to comply with these policies," a University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The statement acknowledged the fact that Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. met with encampment participants last night.
"They reiterated to the protestors the importance of complying with Penn's policies, which are designed to support open expression, while ensuring the safety of all on our campus," the spokesperson wrote.
After the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' engaged in a private discussion, protesters have resumed their chants. Chants have included “Al-Qassam, make us proud, take another soldier down,” and “We don’t want no two state, we want '48.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades are the largest military wing of Hamas.
As of now, the crowd has swelled to more than 350 people — despite a written notification from Penn about providing identification if asked by administrators shortly after 9 p.m.
In a post on Instagram, Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine wrote that they had "serious concerns" that Penn administration was "possibl[y]" violating Title VI, federal anti-discrimination law, and policy of combating discrimination on campus.
In the statement, PAO says that the University "ordered a Seder to disband on college green while permitting other religious services to occur immediately adjacent to the Seder."
PAO also wrote that the University has notified protesters that they plan on collecting PennCards of everyone at the encampment “for the purposes of identification and discipline.” PAO stated that the Office of University Life did not clarify who will be asked to present their identification, and that when administrators were asked whether protesters would be singled out based on “visible symbols of political speech, they did not provide a clear answer.”
The organization wrote that they were “deeply concerned” about the protection of their Title VI rights given the lack of clarity on “how the university intends to prevent discrimination based on protected political views.”
Title VI “prohibits discrimination by entities receiving financial assistance,” as stated on Penn’s Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs website.
Members of the encampment have declared their plan to stand together and not present identification if asked to show it, College junior and student activist Sophia Rosser told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Shortly after 7 p.m., an encampment organizer announced that the University would begin collecting participants' identifying information within an hour. The check has not yet taken place.
In a leaflet distributed to members of the encampment shortly before 9 p.m., the University wrote that "Penn community members must provide identification when asked by University officials," and promises that "[p]rompt compliance" would be a "mitigating factor in any disciplinary proceedings."
Leaflets titled “Notice to Individuals in the Encampment on College Green” were distributed to members of the encampment by history professor Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, a faculty member on the Committee on Open Expression.
The document, which features the Penn crest but lists no signatory, quotes Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s Friday email threatening “sanctions consistent with our due process procedures” if the encampment is not disbanded.
The document continues to say that “Penn community members must provide identification when asked by University officials,” and promises that “[p]rompt compliance” would be a “mitigating factor in any disciplinary proceedings.”
Over an hour after an encampment organizer announced that Penn would begin collecting participants' identifying information within the hour, no check has commenced.
The 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment,' through the Freedom School for Palestine’s Instagram account, issued a statement about the "Zionist with a knife" arrested during the "Seder on the Streets" event earlier today.
The statement contends that Penn Police only trailed the man while he made his way through the encampment, and dismissed a legal observer’s remark that the man had a second, hidden weapon in his fanny pack.
Additionally, it alleges that when an organizer asked how a police officer could “let a man with two knives walk through a crowd of families,” the officer responded, “Do you think he’s the only one here carrying a knife?”
The Daily Pennsylvanian could not independently confirmed the exchange happened.
“Even when a Zionist screams hate speech and carries multiple weapons, putting families with young children in explicit danger, supporters of our encampment are still the ones associated with violence,” the statement wrote.
The statement also contended that Penn administration attempted to stop the "Seder on the Streets" event before it started — by telling organizers not to use the lawn next to the encampment — and that no members of the encampment had put others at risk.
“Events like the incident earlier demonstrate that the administration’s concern is one-sided and it is ambivalent when violence is directed towards us,” the statement wrote.
Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine has posted a statement on Instagram saying that the University is "threatening mass arrests as soon as this evening."
The group has encouraged people to "flood" the encampment to support the participants, "stand against any potential incursion by cops, and remind the Penn administration that there exists widespread support for our movement."
The statement includes that protesters will not leave until their demands are met: the disclosure of University investments, the divestment from companies with ties to Israel, and the defense of pro-Palestinian students.
Over a megaphone, an encampment organizer announced that the University would begin collecting identifying information from participants within the next hour.
A University spokesperson declined to comment.
Organizers also asked those in the encampment to ensure they filled out the jail support form, and to write the phone number of the legal collective on their arms.
The fire officer has concluded the sweep of the encampment without incident. After the officer told organizers that the space was too crowded, a barricade near College Hall was moved to make additional space.
In a statement shared with The Daily Pennsylvanian, the Penn Muslim Student Association elaborated on the purpose of their proposed referendum, with voting open until Wednesday.
The referendum asks undergraduate students whether Penn "should divest from: organizations that profit, engage, or contribute to the government of Israel’s human rights violations," according to a MSA representative.
"The purpose of PennMSA’s referendum is to give the undergraduate student body an equitable opportunity to make their opinions and voices safely heard. By providing more information as to why these three questions, we hope to contextualize an issue that some students may not be as familiar with and may be delaying their vote. We encourage ALL undergraduate students, whether in support or disagreement with the questions, to vote," the statement read.
The statement also included an accompanying document from MSA which includes information about the three questions on the referendum.
According to encampment organizers, a fire officer conducting the sweep of tents for fire hazards called the setup unsafe due to the tents' proximity to each other. The officer requested that organizers create a clear pathway for individuals to exit from the encampment.
In response, an organizer said that — while they would be happy to rearrange the encampment to make it safer — Penn's administration has prevented the encampment's expansion by installing barricades and not allowing them to use the other side of College Green.
The sweep of the encampment is still ongoing after the conversation.
At 5:48 p.m., the chief of Penn Fire Department began conducting a sweep of the encampment in a search for “any fire hazards.”
The marshals began checking every tent, starting with those on the perimeter.The Division of Public Safety had previously told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they will be searching for “any fire hazards.”
The search was conducted with body cameras on, and masks were offered to anyone who wanted them.
Encampment organizers told those assembled that a “fire marshal” will be searching the encampment in 20 minutes and instructed those who were assembled to clear the encampment of anything that is against the guidelines.
Organizers added that the search will be on body cameras, and offered masks to those who want them.
The Division of Public Safety told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they will be searching for “any fire hazards.”
A request for comment has been left with the University.
A “Seder in the Streets” event with over 200 attendees — cohosted by Jewish Voice for Peace Philadelphia, Rabbis for Ceasefire Philadelphia, Families for Ceasefire Philly, and Tikkun Olam Chavurah — has just concluded on College Green adjacent to the encampment.
The event followed the order of a traditional Passover seder but included prayers and chants supporting the people of Gaza.
“Having food at this Passover seder felt really not okay since people are starving to death,” one of the leaders, whom The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to identify, said.
After telling the story of Passover, organizers led the group in an extended song, including lines such as “From Philly to Palestine, we will stop Israeli crime” and “Pesach is for liberation, not for war and occupation.”
Near the end of the seder, organizers led a discussion about “Lo Dayenu” — “it is not enough" — contradicting the traditional Passover tradition of celebrating “Dayenu” — “it is enough.”
“If there are empty University statements that mean nothing, it is not enough,” one participant said.
Another participant said that “there could be a thousand listening sessions” and it would not be enough.
At the conclusion of the seder, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace said that there is “no better place for us to celebrate our holiday of liberation than in the liberation zone.”
In an Instagram post on Sunday afternoon, Penn Alumni for Palestine shared a call to action, asking supporters to send an email to University administrators in support of the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment,' follow it on social media, and share the post to expand its reach.
The post was shared during the "Seder on the Streets" hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace Philadelphia and Families for Ceasefire Philly on College Green.
A man with a knife holster attached to his belt was escorted by police and arrested during the “Seder in the Streets” on College Green.
During the pro-Palestinian seder, a man wearing an “I stand with Israel shirt” entered the event, walking towards the front where speakers were standing.
He was holding a stack of flyers which appeared to be the “Hamas Charter of 2017.”
Multiple police officers and legal observers followed him. Two knives were seized by police, after which the man continued to walk through the seder event with multiple police and legal observers following.
He was accompanied by a woman who said “he was educating people,” when asked about his intentions by another reporter.
Police said he “violated civil code” and would be receiving a citation.
He was escorted away from the seder, and was placed in handcuffs on Walnut Street between 35th and 34th streets.
He was seen entering a police vehicle in hand cuffs at 4:06 p.m. The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to confirm exactly when police realized that the man had a knife and when they seized it. The man did not reach for the holster.
Penn administration does not want the green next to the encampment to be used for “encampment-related activities,” according to an organizer with Families for Ceasefire Philly.
A “Freedom Seder” for Passover is taking place on College Green with tables, banners, and over 200 individuals standing or sitting on the grass. Hannah Mermelstein, an organizer with Families for Ceasefire, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the seder was planned in solidarity with pro-Palestinian student protesters and was moved to Penn’s campus to “show support for the students who are asking the University to be transparent and to divest from genocide.”
“The administration does not want the encampment to grow into the space because this is technically adjacent to the encampment and not part of it right now,” she said.
Mermelstein said that they plan to remain on the green for a “couple hours” despite the University administration’s wishes.
The seder was co-organized by Jewish Voice for Peace Philadelphia, Families for Ceasefire Philly, Rabbis for Ceasefire, and Tikkun Olam Chavurah. It was originally scheduled to be held in Dilworth Park and was moved to College Green given the encampment.
While the seder traditionally includes a meal, Mermelstein said that this one will not, “in solidarity with people who are starving in Gaza.” She added that organizers are encouraging participants to donate directly to an organization operating soup kitchens in Gaza.
A University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Related:Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine — in conjunction with Freedom School for Palestine, Penn's Muslim Student Association, and the Penn Arab Student Society — posted on Instagram asking for "urgent support" from PennCard holders who "are okay with potential disciplinary action" and who want to support the encampment.
"We have strength in numbers," they wrote in the post. "We are not planning to give over IDs voluntarily without guarantee from admin that they will not take disciplinary action."
Pennsylvania state Sen. Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) visited the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment', he said in a post on X — formerly known as Twitter — on Sunday morning.
“I experienced a group of peaceful anti-war advocates,” Haywood wrote.
He joins a growing group of Philadelphia-area politicians who note the peaceful nature of the encampment — namely, seven city and state-level politicians cosigned a statement with Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors last night, calling for Penn administration to hear students out on their demands.
Related:
Multiple Penn administrators have been on site at the encampment today, along with an increased police presence and a growing number of barricades on both sides of Locust Walk during a pro-Israeli counterprotest.
Administrators seen on and around College Green today include Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma, Deputy Provost Beth Winkelstein, Associate Vice Provosts for Student Affairs and Student Life Tamara Greenfield King and Sharon Smith, Chief of Penn Police Gary Williams, Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson, and a senior member of the Office of the President.
Many of the administrators have been seen in conversations with organizers, police, legal observers, and each other.
The increased presence of senior Penn leadership comes after Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. met with encampment organizers Saturday night.
Related:
Chanting from the encampment and the earlier pro-Israel counterprotest could be heard from inside the Moelis Family Grand Reading Room.
The reading room is almost full with students studying, many without headphones. Two students who spoke with The Daily Pennsylvanian said that the noise does not bother them.
One College student said that while the chanting, which began 30 minutes after she got there, "caught her off guard," it did not disrupt her studying.
Another student studying by the windows agreed, saying it "didn't really" bother them.
Raheem Williams, a graduate student in the Fels Institute of Government and member of Penn's Committee on Open Expression, wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that — while he cannot speak for the committee as a whole — "the committee has been working hard to carefully balance free expression protections and campus safety."
Williams added that he visited the encampment on Saturday around 1:15 p.m. "to observe the nature of the protest."
"During my very limited observation period, I saw no violations of open expression guidelines," Williams wrote.
A Drexel University student attempted to enter the pro-Palestinian encampment. Pro-Palestinian protesters formed a semicircle around the individual, barring them from entering.
After a short back and forth, police escorted the individual off the premises.
Hundreds of counterprotesters arrived outside of the College Green encampment after marching from the rally at Annenberg Plaza, creating a lively scene as both sides led dueling chants.
Both the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli contingencies engaged in chants from opposite sides of Locust Walk. Officers from the Division of Public Safety added additional barricades throughout the time the dueling protests were assembled outside Van Pelt-Dietrich Library to keep the two groups separate.
According to data gathered by The Daily Pennsylvanian, chants from the encampment are currently at a noise level of about 85db, fluctuating higher and lower. This level is determined to be an “unreasonable noise level” according to University Guidelines on Open Expression.
Throughout the time both protests were assembled, chants included “Free, free Palestine” from the pro-Palestinian encampment and “Rape is not resistance” from the pro-Israeli side.
The pro-Israeli counterprotesters have marched to the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. They are singing “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem.
Encampment members are gathered on College Green, chanting “There is only one solution, intifada revolution.”
Nearly 250 attendees are beginning to march to College Green and the encampment after a rally at Annenberg Plaza.
The program featured speakers, including Perelman School of Medicine professor Benjamin Abella and Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky, as well as the singing of the American and Israeli national anthems.
“We hereby implore the University to take action,” Abella said at the rally. “Words are not enough.”
A pro-Israeli counterprotest called “No Hate on Campus” begins in the Annenberg School for Communication courtyard. Over 100 community members have gathered with Israeli flags and signs reading “No Hamas No KKK, fight racism and antisemitism,” “UPenn stands with Israel and the United States,” and “Protect Jewish students.”
The counterprotest is being held “in support of a peaceful campus environment for Jewish faculty, staff, [and] students,” according to flyers circulating on Instagram.
Related:
While it still remains quiet here on College Green, at around 11:15 a.m., students from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences brought a robot dog to College Green for what appeared to be testing. While the group stayed far away from the encampment, an officer with the Division of Public Safety asked the group to relocate.
A Facilities and Real Estate Services truck also arrived on College Green at 11:45 a.m. before unloading barricades near Stuart Weitzman Plaza.
The encampment remains quiet as the day gets warmer. A schedule for today’s programming has not yet been posted on social media. A Penn community rally in support of Israel is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Annenberg Plaza.
The rally is being advertised as a “No Hate on Campus” event, according to a flyer posted on Penn Hillel’s Instagram story, and organizers are encouraging participants to bring Israeli flags. The event will also feature speakers.
The encampment is quiet so far this morning, with programming yet to begin.
Officers from Penn’s Division of Public Safety have increased the barricades around College Green, which now stretch along the Locust Walk side of the encampment and along the side of the encampment leading to College Hall. A few openings have been left in the barricades for entrances and exits.
At least 10 officers were present this morning when protesters began waking up.
Penn’s 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' is continuing into a fourth day despite increased tension between organizers and University administration.
Last night, organizers wrote in a statement that they met with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. At the meeting, encampment representatives reiterated their three main demands to Jameson and Jackson.
The encampment’s organizers continue to push for three main goals: disclosure of Penn’s investments, financial divestment from Israel, and the defense of pro-Palestinian students — including the reinstatement of Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine, which was deregistered last weekend.
In the statement, organizers wrote that they "will continue to occupy this space" until the encampment's demands are met — signaling that they will not comply with a Friday night demand to disband the encampment.
Several groups also urged Penn’s administration to prevent violence at the encampment and allow for its continuation. The Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors released a statement condemning Jameson’s call for the encampment to disband, and seven local politicians signed a separate statement calling for Jameson to refrain from taking disciplinary action against participants.
The Daily Pennsylvanian also took an in-depth look at the administrative structures surrounding the encampment’s demands. This includes the mechanics behind disclosure and divestment, Penn’s policies and guidelines relevant to disciplinary measures, and the University’s responses to similar demonstrations in the past.
Amid the rapidly changing scene on campus itself, multiple Penn donors criticized the encampment and called for the University to take a stronger stance in regulating hate speech.
Related: