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Swarthmore College students create encampment in pro-Palestine demonstrations
Students at Swarthmore College have set up an encampment on campus and refuse to move until their demands that the school divest itself from Israel are met.
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Pro-Palestinian protests continue at colleges across the nation. Tents can still be seen at the University of Pennsylvania Friday, but Penn isn’t the only local campus with demonstrations.
About 30 tents and dozens of students are occupying Parrish Lawn in the center of campus at Swarthmore College, as the protest against the war in Gaza mirrors demonstrations happening on college campuses all over the country.
Student Ragad A. stated, "This is happening not just in the United States – this is happening globally. People who never cared about Palestine are here and joining our movement."
Temple, Penn, Princeton join growing list of pro-Palestinian protests
Tensions are high on college campuses across the country and here, in Philadelphia, as students at Penn and Temple gather to protest, along with students at Princeton University.
Protesters are demanding the school cut financial ties to Israel and withdraw any investment aiding Israeli companies.
"This is going to entail a lot of different things like financial transparency on what the endowment is being spent on," Ragad continued.
The demonstrations have been peaceful. In a statement to FOX 29, a spokesperson for Swarthmore College says, in part:
"We remain open and willing to explore more realistic ways to find common ground and bring this latest demonstration to a peaceful conclusion."
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Some are ready for the protests to end. Swarthmore junior Owen Moss said, "I will say, the protests have made it a really challenging environment for Jewish students."
He has been walking by the encampment every day and feels the protest is taking attention away from the war itself. "All that I see is attention being taken away from the actual war. Which, regardless of your political views, it’s terrible. War itself is sad, but what I see all over the news now, it’s not about the war, not about real victims. It’s about these sit-ins and these college students who feel entitled."
College tours of potential students continue, strolling by the encampment of the area typically used for end of year graduation activities and with classes ending next week, protesters say they are not leaving until demands are met.
"Eventually our institution will have to address that we are occupying the most important space on campus, but again, we are willing to stay here so long. We won’t rest. We will stay here until our demands are met," Ragad added.
The demonstrations at Swarthmore add to an ever-growing list of local universities protesting, including University of Delaware, Drexel University and Haverford College.