Tensions rise on UPenn campus as pro-Palestinian encampments remain despite university letter to disband
PHILADELPHIA - The usual day-to-day operations at UPenn remain business as usual, except for a large pro-Palestinian encampment in the middle of the campus, with student protestors demanding the University make changes.
"Our demands are the same as they were on the first day, to disclose the endowment of the University, to divest from the Israeli Apartheid state and to defend the voices of Pro-Palestinian students on campus," says one of the protest organizers.
Throughout the day, students and staff took pictures and videos of the large movement that first showed up on campus Thursday.
Some of those passing by in support and others strongly against.
"I’m very disgusted by the people, the people here," said a Drexel student that wanted to remain unnamed.
The student says he’s Israeli and believes UPenn is not handling this right.
"I do not think we should be negotiating with them, it should be a very clear-cut policy, get off our property, you have an illegitimate reason to be here, please leave," said the unnamed Drexel student.
UPenn’s Interim President wrote a letter on Friday calling for the group to disband.
Pro-Palestine protestors remain on UPenn campus despite university letter calling to disband
Pro-Palestine protestors remain on the University of Pennsylvania campus Sunday, despite a university letter released Friday calling to disband.
In the letter it says the protest on campus does go against university policies.
The University released a statement Sunday stating in part: "After many efforts to engage the protesters, the Interim President and Provost met with several student and faculty protestors Saturday night to hear their concerns. 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. Representatives from Open Expression communicated Penn's identification policies and informed the protestors of their obligation to comply with these policies".
Protestors say they don’t plan on leaving and are not happy with the university’s response to their movement.
"They’ve been dismissive and honestly given the fact we’ve been receiving threats and intimidation from outside of this encampment, I believe the university is not taking us seriously, not trying to protect us and our rights to protest on this campus," said one of the protest organizers.
We did reach out to UPenn officials about how they are going to handle the encampment, but as of Monday afternoon, they had no update.