Protests are rippling through prominent Philadelphia universities as students and activists voice their support for Palestine. Around 200 individuals in Center City took to the streets on Thursday, culminating in an encampment at the University of Pennsylvania. The protesters, a mix of students from Penn, Drexel University, Temple University, and various activist groups, initiated the march at City Hall around 2:25 p.m., eventually reaching University City by 5 p.m. to set up tents on Penn's campus, per a report by NBC10. Natalie Ramos-Castillo, a protester and a member of Uncommitted PA, reflected on the march, noting, “These children have watched since 2016, since the uprising for Black Lives Matter, have been watching and they are now old enough and they are now demonstrating,” She further emphasized that “They’re saying enough is enough. We sent them, us as adults, we invested in schools, we said send your children to college. Have them learn. They have learned their history. They know the history of this country. They know the history and the strength of students. And how students have been demonstrating consistently throughout our history. And they are the ones we need to be listening to.”
While the protests at the University of Pennsylvania avoided encounters with law enforcement, across state lines at Princeton University in New Jersey, a less amicable conclusion played out. Princeton officials arrested two graduate students for trespassing after establishing a camp in violation of policy. On the same day, a group of about 100 students marched at Temple University in support of Palestine, as reported by CBS News. The Philly Palestine Coalition claimed Thursday's march in the city was a two-mile journey designed to support the student movement for Palestine, against which opponents, including Jewish organizations, allege it to be igniting antisemitism.
Responses to the protests and consequent encampments have varied. At Princeton, all erected tents were taken down voluntarily post-arrests, as stated in an official statement. Meanwhile, opposition toward the movement in colleges has raised alarms over antisemitism, prompting steps towards inclusivity. The interim president of the University of Pennsylvania, Larry Jameson, mentioned in a letter that a Muslim, Arab Palestinian student advisory group was convened to foster a more inclusive community on campus. An advisory group was just one of various initiatives, augmented by the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community, which is soon to release its final report containing recommendations on addressing hate, including Islamophobia, as stated by CBS News.
In a gesture of solidarity and perhaps a quest for common ground, Jewish Voice for Peace at Swarthmore College has organized a community Seder that will invite students from various colleges. The group aims to inclusively celebrate while addressing the tension between the pro-Palestinian movement and antisemitism concerns. "We're planning on inviting three colleges, including Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr and Haverford, to come here and celebrate a community Seder," Noe Caplan of Jewish Voice for Peace told 6abc.
