What to know about campus protests:
- More than 2,000 people have now been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests at colleges across the country.
- Police operations are ongoing at multiple colleges, including Portland State University where authorities twice cleared a library after protesters barricaded themselves inside.
- A NYPD officer accidentally fired a gun inside Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall when police entered it to clear it of protesters earlier this week, officials said. City officials said that many of those arrested at campus demonstrations were not affiliated with the schools.
- President Joe Biden addressed the protests from the White Househours after dramatic scenes at UCLA, saying students had a right to dissent but not a right to cause chaos.
The University of Pennsylvania said it reached out to city officials in Philadelphia this week after protest activity on and around campus “escalated.”
“We have reached out to the City of Philadelphia to ensure we have the necessary resources to keep our community safe. The Mayor’s Office has asked for more information, and we are providing it,” the college said in a statement yesterday evening.
An encampment has been on College Green on UPenn’s campus since April 25. The college has told the protesters in the encampment that they are violating its policies and that it was checking the IDs of those involved. Some disciplinary processes have already been started, it said.
Counter-protesters staged a march at UPenn yesterday and delivered a petition with 3,000 signatures to college leaders, NBC Philadelphia reported.
