The University of Pennsylvania has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) for immediate assistance to disband the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a source familiar with the situation informed The Daily Pennsylvanian. However, the PPD has declined this request, asking for evidence that the encampment and the ongoing rally, posed an imminent danger. This news surfaced as Penn Public Safety issued its fourth UPenn Alert, marking the first alerts since the encampment commenced eight days ago.
BREAKING: Penn asked the Philadelphia Police Department to immediately help disband the College Green encampment — and the PPD declined to do so until Penn proves that the situation is more dangerous.
From @diamywang:https://t.co/kfq2RTnvSZ
— Ben Binday (@benbinday) May 2, 2024
In a statement, a University spokesperson acknowledged Penn’s communication with the City of Philadelphia amidst the ongoing encampment and related demonstrations. The spokesperson emphasized the university’s management of the encampment and surrounding protests over several days, noting an escalation in protest activity overnight and a continued presence of large crowds in and around College Green. Penn sought resources from the city to ensure the safety of its community.
There’s a little secret here, though: Penn has a very large police department.
This is perfect. Police departments should insist that the universities do their part and expel students who are breaking the rules. They cannot be permitted to shift the responsibility to law enforcement.
Let the Ivy League own the pro-Hamas Left. https://t.co/1J34IkHqoq
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) May 2, 2024
In response, the Mayor’s Office requested more information from Penn, to which the university pledged cooperation. The PPD’s public information officer, Eric Gripp, said they would not provide any plans or operations to the public for tactile purposes.
Look, if the school doesn’t want the protest to continue expel the students and order them to leave. Then, if they refuse, trespass them and call the police.
Gripp reiterated the PPD’s commitment to facilitating safe demonstrations while upholding the First Amendment rights of all individuals within the city. The police response, he emphasized, would be tailored to the specific circumstances of each situation.
Pro-Palestine protests coming from Temple and Drexel campuses are now at Penn pic.twitter.com/azFko68obc
— Ximena Conde (@XimenaReports) April 25, 2024
The escalation in police presence occurred after a series of confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. Earlier, police intervened when an encampment organizer breached barricades surrounding the Ben Franklin statue, refusing to comply with requests to vacate the area. This led to a physical clash between organizers and police officers, resulting in the removal of barricades and a subsequent standoff between protesters and law enforcement.
