The University of Pennsylvania’s pro-Palestinian protest encampment has reached its 15th day, and the school said it is stepping up security for its commencement. The university also announced six students are on a mandatory temporary leave of absence for their involvement in the protest. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan spoke with those students.
Editor's note (May 10, 2024, 6:26 a.m.): Philadelphia police moved in on the encampment and began arresting protesters. Get breaking details by clicking here.
In the early morning hours of the 15th day of the encampment on the University of Pennsylvania's campus, six students were forced into "mandatory temporary leaves of absence" for participating, according to the University of Pennsylvania.
"Today, the University issued mandatory temporary leaves of absence for six students in accordance with our policies and pending the results of the Center for Community Standards and Accountability disciplinary investigations. These actions are a result of the University’s continuing response to the unauthorized encampment on College Green," the school said in a statement on their site.
A spokesperson for the encampment referred to the action as "suspensions" when speaking with NBC10.
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One of the groups involved in the encampment, Philly Palestine Coalition, released a statement about the students being banned from campus and explained that two of them are on the negotiating committee and have met with President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson.
The statement goes on to say that one student is living on campus and has been locked out of her dorm room meaning they cannot access their belongings.
"We vehemently reject the characterization of students organizing within the Gaza Solidarity Encampment as “exceptional threats” to campus safety," the organization said in the statement.
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Three of the students, including the one locked out of her dorm, reacted to the mandatory leaves of absence while speaking with reporters on Thursday.
"The university cannot ignore us forever. They know what they are doing is wrong and they will have to take action," junior Sonya Stacia said.
While speaking at an event in Westmoreland County on Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro weighed in on the situation saying it is "past time for the university to act, to address this, to disband the encampment and to restore order and safety on campus."
The protest is 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.
Protesters told NBC10 they want to keep things peaceful as well but they’re not leaving until their demands are met by the university.
