Police break up anti-Israel protest on Pennsylvania college campus after concerns arise over mask-wearing, presence of non-students at the protest.
Nine protestors were arrested during an anti-Israel demonstration at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania yesterday (Saturday).
One current student and one former student were among those arrested. The other seven were not students or faculty.
Swarthmore President Valerie Smith said the school was pressured by the FBI to act in response to the protest.
“The promotion of the protest on social media drew the attention of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, who urged us to bring the encampment to an end as quickly as possible,” Smith said in a statement.
Protest organizers’ move to bring non-students onto campus for the protest caused concern. In addition, Smith stated that, “Many, if not all, of the protestors — both students and non-students — were fully masked and tried to remain unidentifiable.”
The Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine chapter posted a video on its Instagram page showing Vice President of Student Affairs Stephanie Ives approaching protesters, accompanied by two police officers. Ives told the protestors, “This encampment and the actions you’ve been involved in put this community at risk. “Because we cannot even identify you, we do not know whom amongst you is a student and who’s not.”
Police began arresting protestors after they refused orders to leave the campus.
