Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania are feeling threatened and disrupted by anti-Israel protesters who are ignoring the school administration’s orders to remove their on-campus encampment. The interim president of the university warned that failure to clear the tent city would result in sanctions, but the protesters have remained despite this warning. This situation is similar to what is happening at Columbia University, where anti-Israel protesters have also refused to disband their encampment.
The demonstrators at UPenn are a mix of students, faculty, and people not affiliated with the school, who have also refused to show school IDs as mandated. A particular anti-Israel group celebrated the fact that no arrests have been made despite these requests from the university. The Faculty for Justice in Palestine group at UPenn claimed victory on Instagram on Monday, stating that they were able to call the administration’s bluff and resist the panic they intended to set in.
According to Jewish student Abraham Franchetti, school leaders have not taken any action beyond issuing warnings about the encampment that began last Thursday. The encampment has been described as “incredibly frightening” for Jewish students and disruptive to school activities. Franchetti noted that the university appears powerless to address the situation and that the trespassing notices put up by the school have been largely ignored.
Another Jewish student at UPenn, who chose to remain anonymous, agreed that the university made the right decision in ordering the encampment to be dismantled but has failed to enforce this policy. The lack of action from the school has been seen as a sign of cowardice and a lack of conviction in their statements. School leaders have met with some of the protesting students and staff to listen to their concerns, emphasizing the importance of complying with the school’s policies while ensuring campus safety.
The UPenn spokesperson stated that interim President Jameson and Provost Jackson met with protesters to reiterate the significance of following the school’s policies, which support open expression while maintaining campus safety. Mention was made of harassing comments and actions by some protesters, as well as vandalism of a statue with antisemitic graffiti, which will be investigated as a hate crime. The school has emphasized upholding free speech while not allowing actions that harass, threaten, or intimidate others.
The situation at UPenn is part of a larger trend seen at universities across the country, with anti-Israel encampments sparked by the events at Columbia University. Some of these encampments have led to clashes with police, such as at the University of Texas at Austin, where officers in riot gear arrested protesters and used pepper spray on those attempting to block a police van holding arrestees. Texas Governor Greg Abbott emphasized that no encampments will be allowed and arrests are being made instead.
