Police Arrested 19 Pro-Palestinian Protesters at University of Pennsylvania Campus
- Six University of Pennsylvania students were among the 19 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested during an attempt to occupy a building on campus.
- The protests at Penn's University City campus resulted in several arrests following a large police presence.
- The demonstration occurred just days before Penn's commencement.
A group of University of Pennsylvania students, along with other protesters, were arrested while trying to occupy a school building. This happened after a protest encampment on campus was broken up by authorities. Similar protests have been happening at colleges across the country. The students were part of Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine. They announced their plan to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall and asked supporters to bring items like flags and noise-makers. Police arrived quickly and arrested the protesters, who were later released. The incident at Penn occurred after a two-week encampment on campus was cleared by city and campus police. The protesters were demanding that the University of Chicago divest from companies doing business with Israel. The tension over the Israel-Hamas war has led to protests on various campuses. Some protesters have taken down their tents after reaching agreements with college administrators. At the University of Pennsylvania, nearly 20 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested for attempting to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall. Some faced felony charges, including assaulting a police officer. The protesters had occupied the hall, renamed it "Refaat Alareer Hall," and demanded divestment from Israel. The police found lock-picking tools and homemade shields in the building. The protesters later marched to Philadelphia police headquarters and some camped out overnight after the arrests.