Pro-Palestinian protest at UPenn continues into day 6 as university takes disciplinary action

Students, faculty and staff continue their pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Pennsylvania as school officials have 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 UPenn spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

"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.

Tuesday, April 30, marks the sixth day of protests after 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Center City in Philadelphia last Thursday before settling at the University of Pennsylvania to set up an encampment in front of College Hall.

The protest was one of many that occurred at college campuses across the country that unfolded last week as many called for a cease-fire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas War.

The protesters, which include students from UPenn but also Drexel and Temple universities, 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.

The University of Pennsylvania interim President J. Larry Jameson initially called late Friday for an encampment of protesters on the University City campus 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.”

Protesters who spoke with NBC10 claim that the person responsible for the graffiti was not a part of their encampment.

“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,” he said.

In that statement, Jameson said the failure to disband the encampment and to adhere to UPenn’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.

UPenn 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."

There have not yet been any reports of arrests as of Tuesday.

However, at New York's Columbia University, last week, more than 100 demonstrators were arrested following a similar demonstration.