University of Pennsylvania Officials Confirm Majority of Protesters Were Non-Students
Protest Events
University of Pennsylvania officials revealed that less than a third of the individuals arrested during the recent anti-Israel protests on campus were students. The protest, involving an unauthorized encampment set up on the College Green, resulted in the subsequent arrest of 33 individuals. Of those apprehended, only 9 were confirmed to be Penn students, while the remaining 24 had no affiliation with the university.
Penn police discovered several homemade weapons during a search of the encampment, which were crafted using chains, bolts, and various metal parts.
Removal of Unauthorized Encampment
According to a university spokesperson, Penn Police, with support from the Philadelphia Police Department, took action to eliminate the unauthorized encampment on College Green at approximately 5:30am. Before clearing the area, protest participants were repeatedly warned that they were trespassing and were even given the opportunity to voluntarily leave without facing citation. However, those who chose to remain were aware they would be arrested.
Resulting from the encampment’s removal, approximately 33 individuals were arrested and cited for defiant trespass. The process was completed smoothly and without incident.
University Officials’ Response
Interim UPenn President J. Larry Jameson and other top university officials jointly released a statement, considering the encampment’s removal as an unfortunate but essential measure. The statement emphasized the importance of preventing violence, allowing operations to resume, and restoring the campus to its community.
The administrators also stated their ongoing efforts to communicate with the protestors, starting from April 26th, the second day of the encampment, to address their violations of Penn’s policies. However, their outreach efforts faced unreasonable demands and witnessed an alarming escalation in the encampment’s activities.
[Reporter’s Name] from [News Website Name] contributed to this report.
