Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania assailed school leaders on Monday as “powerless” after anti-Israel protesters ignored the administration’s order to disband their on-campus encampment.
The Ivy League school’s interim president J. Larry Jameson warned in an email to the school community Friday that failure to clear the tent city “immediately” would lead to sanctions, but protesters remained on the university’s College Green as of Monday evening.
The scene playing out at UPenn is reminiscent of the chaos at Columbia University, where anti-Israel protesters have rebuffed the Manhattan school’s demand to clear out of their encampment.
Demonstrators at UPenn, made up of students, faculty and people not affiliated with the school, have also refused a mandate to show school IDs. One anti-Israel group celebrated that no arrests have been made since the school made those requests.
“Because of our collective will and strength, we were able to call the administration’s bluff, resist the panic they intended to set in and win this first battle,” UPenn’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine wrote on Instagram on Monday.
Jewish student Abraham Franchetti told The Post that school leaders have failed to take any action after issuing warnings. He said the encampment that cropped up last Thursday has been “incredibly frightening” for Jewish students while also disrupting school activities.
“The school just put up these trespassing notices that have been pretty universally ignored,” the sophomore said. “The university seems powerless to do anything about it.”
Another Jewish student, who did not want to be named, echoed that sentiment.
“I think the university made the right decision by saying the encampment needs to go. The issue is they’ve done nothing to actually enforce that policy, which I think shows I guess a level of cowardice and a lack of their conviction in their statements,” the student said.
A UPenn spokesperson told The Post that Jameson, as well as Provost John L. Jackson Jr., met with some students and staff protesting Saturday night to hear their concerns.
“They reiterated to the protestors the importance of complying with Penn’s policies, which are designed to support open expression, while ensuring the safety of all on our campus,” the spokespersons said while noting the ID policy.
School leaders in Friday’s note said some protesters have displayed “harassing and intimidating comments and actions” and a statue was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, which will be probed as a hate crime.
“As we have repeatedly emphasized, we will uphold free speech and the productive exchange of ideas, but we will not allow any actions that harass, threaten, or intimidate others,” the school said.
UPenn is one of dozens of universities and colleges that have dealt with ongoing anti-Israel encampments sparked by Columbia’s mini tent-city earlier this month. Rabble-rousers there have remained despite directives from the school to close up shop.
Some of the campus tent cities have led to clashes with police, including at the University of Texas at Austin where cops in riot gear arrested protesters on Monday. The officers used pepper spray on demonstrators that attempted to block a police van holding arrestees as it left campus, according to an Associated Press report.
“No encampment will be allowed,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on X. “Instead, arrests are being made.”