A lot happened last year.
September
9/4-9/10: Disorientation Week
A collective of student activists published the annual Penn Disorientation Guide and hosted a week of educational and community events in collaboration with Penn and Philadelphia organizations.
9/22: Palestine Writes Literature Festival
A collective of Palestinian writers and allies welcomed hundreds of visitors to Penn’s campus for the second Palestine Writes Literature Festival. Speakers and attendees included international scholars, writers, activists, artists, performers, and families with young children, many of whom have now been martyred by Israel’s genocide. The festival was publicly denounced by then-Penn President Liz Magill, Provost John Jackson, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven Fluharty. (see: Palestine Writes, Penn’s Wrongs)
9/27-28: Penn Resident Advisors Vote to Form a Union
After over a year of fighting for the right to unionize for resident advisors, then unpaid workers who worked long hours in strenuous circumstances, RAs voted overwhelmingly to form the first RA union in the Philadelphia area and the first student worker union at Penn.
October
10/1: Fossil Free Penn Press Release
FFP published a press release and tabled on Locust Walk to call attention to Penn’s hiring of 21 lobbyists who also work for fossil fuel companies, illustrating the depth of Penn’s ties to the industry.
10/10: Initial Administration Email
Former President Liz Magill writes an email to the Penn community addressing the October 7 attacks. In the statement, President Magill
- Affirms her devastation at “the horrific assault on Israel by Hamas that targeted civilians and the taking of hostages” that “resulted in the tragic loss of life and escalating violence and unrest in the region.”
- Announces that Penn-affiliated trips to “Israel and Palestine” will be suspended for the time being.
- Offers a list of campus resources for community members processing the events.
10/11: PAO Solidarity Statement
Penn Against the Occupation releases a statement declaring solidarity with Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance of Israeli genocide and apartheid. In the statement, PAO also condemns Penn’s official reactions to Oct. 7 and the subsequent violence for omitting the voice and existence of Palestinians.
10/16: Day-Long Walkout
Following Magill’s second university-wide email the day prior, Penn Against the Occupation organized a walk-out and protest at the button outside of Van Pelt Library. Protesters gathered in solidarity with Palestinians and criticized Magill for omitting the plight of Palestine, Palestinians, or Gaza. Featuring faculty speakers, student speakers, poetry, and chanting, the protest lasted from 10am to 5pm.
10/30: Fossil Free Penn Divestment Complaint
Fossil Free Penn submitted a divestment complaint to the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, aiming to hold Penn legally accountable for their morally misguided and financially irresponsible ties to the fossil fuel industry.
November
11/8: PAO Light Projections
At night, pro-Palestinian student protesters project light-signs reading “Let Gaza live,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Zionism is racism,” “Penn funds Palestinian genocide,” “From West Philly to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” “Free Palestine,” “Liz Magill is complicit in genocide,” and “10,000 murdered by Israeli occupation since October 7.” Subsequently, Penn administration denounces these protests as anti-semitic, conflating anti-Zionism with anti-semitism. This summer, light-sign protests were banned.
11/9: Walkout for Ceasefire
As genocide in Gaza progressed with neither a sign of slowing nor any action from Penn, students staged another walkout at the button. Demanding a ceasefire now, protesters gathered once again around the button to deliver speeches, read poetry, chant, and demonstrate solidarity.
11/14: Establishment of Freedom School for Palestine (FSP)
The Freedom School for Palestine, a coalition of students, professors, and Penn community members held a protest and press conference in the Reading Room of Houston Hall. They called for a ceasefire and condemned Penn’s failure to provide time, space, safety, and resources to Palestinian voices. Following the press conference, FSP established a weeks-long sit-in in the Reading Room where they hosted teach-ins, prayers, workshops, and film screenings to promote Palestinian voices.
11/28: Penn Chavurah Israelism Screening and AAUP Letter
Earlier in the semester, Penn Chavurah, a Jewish student organization, planned to screen Israelism, a documentary critical of Israel and Zionism. However, Penn stopped the original screening and denied Chavurah’s request to be rescheduled. In response, the American Association of University Professors Penn (AAUP Penn) published a statement decrying Penn’s attack on academic freedom. Finally, the Middle East Center, in collaboration with Chavurah, screened Israelism in defiance of the Penn Administration. Penn has since banned collaborations of this sort in their new open expression guidelines.
February
2/18: Study-in for Palestine
After winter break, Freedom School for Palestine student protesters studied-in at the Moelis Reading room in Van-Pelt Library. To highlight the scholasticide – the destruction of academic institutions – in Gaza, the protesters posted signs on their table and on their reading lamps, but otherwise studied quietly. At 7pm, with police enforcement, a Penn University Life representative had the the protesters removed from the library.
March
3/1: Board of Trustees Disruption
At a meeting of the Penn Board of Trustees, twelve student activists stood wearing t-shirts that read “Endowment Transparency Now. Divest From Genocide”, and held up hands painted red. Two activists began chanting as the Chair of the Board attempted to begin remarks, resulting in the adjournment of the meeting within a few minutes.
3/19: Demolition of University City Townhomes
The University City Townhomes, which had some of the last affordable housing close to Penn’s campus, were demolished after a long struggle to save them and get compensation and support for the residents.
3/22: March for Queer Liberation
Penn affinity groups Out in Stem (OSTEM) and Penn Non-Cis collaborated to organize a March for Queer Liberation, starting at the LGBTQ center and going down Locust Walk to the Benjamin Franklin statue, where several speakers addressed issues including Penn’s lack of funding for queer scholars, the need to expand resources for queer students, the meaning of queer liberation and its intersectionality with other issues, and Penn’s restriction of free speech.
April
4/19: Penn Against the Occupation’s Status Revoked
Penn Against the Occupation refused to provide contact information to Penn administration out of fear of doxxing and the disciplinary action against the student activists. Penn administration revokes PAO’s status as a student organization, thereby disallowing them from hosting events on Penn’s campus, affiliation with Penn, and use of Penn iconography.
4/22: Reclaim Earth Day
Fossil Free Penn had an educational table on Earth Day, as part of a larger, worldwide, student movement to recognize the intersectionality of climate justice.
4/25: Gaza Solidarity Encampment Begins
The Encampment began with a rally organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition, which made its way from Center City to the Bent Button on Penn’s campus, where they met with a faculty walkout at 4 pm. Shortly after 4:30, the encampment was set up on College Green with about 20 tents.
The encampment demanded that Penn:
- Disclose all of their individual and active financial holdings under the Associated Investments Fund in the spirit of transparency and shared governance.
- Divest financially from corporations that profit from Israel’s war on Gaza and occupation in Palestine and academically from Israeli institutions, condemning the scholasticide of Palestinian scholars and universities.
- Defend Palestinian students and their allies, granting amnesty for those involved in pro-Palestine protest. End university repression and biased disciplinary processes targeting these community members, beginning with the reinstatement of PAO.
May
5/10: Police Arrest 33 Protesters and Sweep Encampment
At approximately 5:30 am, hundreds of police officers in riot gear surrounded the encampment and warned protestors that they would be arrested if they did not leave immediately. At around 6 am, police entered the encampment, arresting the 33 individuals that remained and breaking down tents. The protestors were taken into custody and cited for defiant trespass, then released later that day.
5/17: Occupation of Fisher-Bennett Hall
Continuing to pressure Penn administration, pro-Palestinian protesters enter and attempt to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall after the destruction of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Penn Police arrested nineteen protesters and evicted the protesters. Then, protesters moved to the Penn Museum to disrupt and chant outside the Penn Museum where an Alumni Event was being held.
5/19: Three Students Barred Entry from College Graduation
Three college seniors who had been put on mandatory leaves of absence for their involvement with the Gaza Solidarity Encampment were denied entry to their own graduation, despite having received no prior communication from administration stating that they would not be allowed to enter, and only vague responses when they tried to ask for information. Several students organized a protest on the corner of 33rd and Spruce Street as graduation concluded to call attention to this arbitrary and unjust action against these three students.
June
6/6: Penn Implements the Temporary Guidelines on Open Expression
In response to the encampment and other actions throughout the year, Penn implemented the new Temporary Guidelines on Open Expression, enabling Penn administration to further suppress and limit political speech and action. (see: Crackdown: Open Expression in Post-Encampment Penn)
6/7-6/8: RA Union Contract Ratified
After successful negotiations and vote, the RA Union ratified a new contract with the University of Pennsylvania for more rights and benefits.
Penn Disorientation Guide 