A man poured an unidentified liquid on the food, tents and banners of pro-Palestinian protesters who have been at an encampment at the University of Pennsylvania for nearly a week, police said.
The unidentified man was spotted on Wednesday, May 1, walking around the encampment and spraying a liquid onto protesters’ belongings.
“He came into our encampment, targeted the food directly. He has sprayed our food, our tents, our signs,” Eliana Atienza, a Penn student and one of the protesters at the encampment, told NBC10.
The man was detained by Penn Police minutes after the incident. Police said he could face harassment charges. Meanwhile, protesters were forced to get rid of anything touched by the liquid.
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“The university tries very, very hard to say that we are the dangerous ones,” Atienza said. “I urge people to look at who is really putting us at risk.”
Pro-Palestinian protest at Penn continues
On Thursday, April 25, 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Center City in Philadelphia before settling at Penn to set up an encampment in front of College Hall.
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The protest was one of many that occurred at college campuses across the country calling for a cease-fire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas War.
The protesters have also called on their schools to divest from all financial support of Israel.
Divestment usually refers to selling shares in companies doing business with a given country. Divestment has long been a goal of a movement that seeks to limit what it considers hostile operations by Israel and an end to expanding what the United Nations has ruled are illegal settlements in Palestinian territory.
Now, college protesters are hoping to force their universities to divest to put financial pressure on companies doing business in Israel to meet those two objectives.
On Friday, April 26, University of Pennsylvania interim President J. Larry Jameson called for the encampment to be disbanded, saying it violated the university’s facilities policies.
The “harassing and intimidating comments and actions” by some protesters violate the school’s open expression guidelines as well as state and federal law, Jameson said. He also accused some of the protesters of vandalizing a statue with antisemitic graffiti, which he called “especially reprehensible" while stating it would be "investigated as a hate crime.”
“I am deeply saddened and troubled that our many efforts to respectfully engage in discourse, support open expression, and create a community that is free of hate and inclusive for everyone have been ignored by those who choose to disrupt and intimidate,” Jameson said.
Protesters who spoke with NBC10 claim that the person responsible for the graffiti was not a part of their encampment, however.
Jameson said the failure to disband the encampment and to adhere to Penn’s policies would result in sanctions consistent with their due process procedures as they apply to students, faculty and staff.
The university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors responded by urging the administration not to “escalate the situation” or “violate the rights of students and faculty.”
“We’re not leaving. So far there has not been any police intervention, though that is never not a possibility," a student protester who didn't give his name said.
School officials have also warned the protesters to disband multiple times.
"We have clearly communicated to the protestors in the encampment that they are in violation of the University's policies and are checking IDs in accordance with Penn's Open Expression Guidelines," a Penn spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday, April 30.
"We have opened several student disciplinary cases through the Center for Community Standards, and they are currently proceeding in accordance with our process. Any faculty and staff violations will follow the relevant disciplinary processes. These actions, while unfortunate, are necessary."
As university staff asked protesters for student IDs, students refused to provide identification and covered their faces.
Penn has also put up signs warning students that they're trespassing. Legal experts told NBC10 that this puts protesters at risk of potentially being arrested.
“I think arrest is always a risk that anybody who’s expressing political beliefs has to take," Emma Herndon, a student protester, said. "We are prepared in any scenario."
As the protest continues, some Jewish students at Penn said they are worried about escalation similar to what occurred during other campus protests, including one at Columbia University in New York in which more than 100 demonstrators were arrested.
“It’s a similar movement,” Ben Messafi, a Penn student, told NBC10 on Wednesday. “Same protesters speaking similar ideologies and I’m worried that they can go in, potentially break into college hall and do similar actions like they did at Columbia and unfortunately cause way more escalation on campus. Especially when it’s the last day of classes.”
On Thursday, Jewish students are delivering a petition to the university president, urging him to get rid of the encampment.
"Obviously there should be freedom of speech but if it gets out of hand, like it has at Columbia and other universities, people should take action. The administration should take action. They should do what they need to do," Matthew Halpert, a Penn dentist student said.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D-3rd District) visited the campus on Wednesday and met with protesters, hoping to help ease some of the tension.
“I am frankly willing to work with anybody who wants this to remain lawful. Who wants the constitution observed and who wants to make things peaceful,” Krasner said.
Protesters told NBC10 they want to keep things peaceful as well but they’re not leaving until their demands are met by the university.
"I came here to support the students. They have a right to protest. They have the right to free speech. And I’m hoping Penn recognizes that and they also have the right to do that without penalty,” Gauthier said.
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