Drexel University in Philadelphia on Monday threatened to clear an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters, with the arrests linked to protests on campus. against Israel-Hamas war has surpassed the 3,000 mark nationwide.
Drexel President John Fry said the encampment had disrupted campus life and “cannot be allowed to remain in place.” Fry called on protesters to leave immediately, but said in a statement Monday evening that he had authorized “all necessary measures to safely clear the camp.” He did not say when that might happen.
Classes at Drexel were held virtually Monday as police monitored the protest on the school’s Korman Quad. Many Drexel employees have been asked to work from home.
Students and others have set up tents on campuses across the country to pressure universities to cut financial ties with Israel. War-related tensions have been high on campuses since the fall, but protests spread quickly after the April 18 police crackdown on a college campus. camp at Columbia University.
More than 3,000 people were arrested on US campuses last month. Campuses have been quieter recently, with fewer arrests, as students go on summer vacation. Still, colleges remain vigilant about disruptions to commencement ceremonies.
At Drexel, which has about 22,000 students, Fry said protesters “created a hostile and confrontational environment by subjecting bystanders to anti-Semitic rhetoric and issuing several ‘demands’ that unacceptably targeted individual members of our teaching staff and our professional staff” as well as Jews. groups on campus. He previously threatened disciplinary action against Drexel students participating in the protest.
The Drexel protesters’ demands ranged from the university administration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from companies that do business with Israel, to the abolition of the Drexel Police Department and the removal of the school’s chapter of Hillel, the campus Jewish organization, and another Jewish chapter. university group, Chabad.
The Drexel Palestine Coalition had no immediate response to Fry’s ultimatum. Protest organizers said on Instagram in response to an earlier statement by Fry that “it is slander to accuse the encampment of ‘hateful’ or ‘intimidating’ actions when we have done neither neither the other. The group accused Drexel and city police of harassment and intimidation. A pro-Palestinian group of faculty and staff also blasted Fry Monday for closing campus facilities and said the encampment “does not disrupt learning.”
Drexel planned a “phased return” to normal operations Tuesday, with labs and some other classes taking place in person and lectures remaining remote.
Elsewhere, graduate students from the University of California, Santa Cruz, went on strike on Monday part of an ongoing system-wide protest over how administrators have responded to pro-Palestinian encampments, including the arrest of protesters on campuses in Los Angeles, San Diego and Irvine.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, meanwhile, declined to charge four University of Pennsylvania protesters who were among the 19 arrested Friday night, citing a lack of evidence presented by campus police. Krasner’s office approved misdemeanor charges against three other people. The other 12 people arrested Friday evening were cited for failing to disperse.
Penn’s main commencement ceremony took place Monday under heavy security and a ban on flags and signs. There was no disturbance.
But dozens of students left Yale University’s commencement ceremony, some waving Palestinian flags. Yale said in a prepared statement that “a number of graduating students chose to leave peacefully during the ceremony. University staff helped guide these individuals to an area outside the event space, and the ceremony continued as planned.
Connecticut Wesleyan University said it had reached an agreement with student protesters to explore possible divestment, with meetings planned for later this month and in the fall. Wesleyan President Michael Roth announced the deal over the weekend and revealed that 1.7 percent of Wesleyan’s endowment was invested in aerospace and defense companies, but none were directly involved in the manufacture of weapons.
As part of the agreement, Wesleyan protesters emptied their encampment Monday, according to a school spokesperson.
The Associated Press has recorded at least 82 incidents since April 18 in which arrests took place during protests on campuses across the United States. At least 3,025 people were arrested on the campuses of 61 colleges and universities. The figures are based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement.
The latest war between Israel and Hamas began when Hamas and other militants swept into the south of the country. Israel October 7 killing approximately 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostages. Palestinian militants still hold around 100 prisoners, while the Israeli army has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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Associated Press journalists Michael Hill in Albany, New York, Janie Har in San Francisco, Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this story.
News Source : apnews.com
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