Pro-Palestinian protest at Penn enters 8th day; petition to end encampment delivered
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Tensions grew on the University of Pennsylvania's campus on day 8 of the controversial encampment that is described as pro-Palestinian by organizers.
On Friday afternoon protesters flanked a sculpture of Ben Franklin, covering his face and raising a Palestinian flag.
Philadelphia police and Penn police kept a strong presence.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestinian protest on Penn's campus continues; petition calls for end to encampment
Protesters are calling on the Ivy League school to divest from any company with financial ties to Israel.
Penn's Interim President Jameson has ordered the protesters to disband the encampment immediately due to university violations, and harassment, and intimidation.
On Thursday morning, the Philadelphia chapter of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), delivered petitions to Jameson's office. The petition garnered more than 3,000 signatures of verified Penn students and faculty, urging them to follow through with disbanding the pro-Palestinian encampment.
The group of protesters is made up of students from Penn, Drexel University, Temple University and other organizations.
READ MORE: Penn's interim president warns pro-Palestinian protesters to disband encampment immediately
Encampment organizers tell us it's their understanding that their actions are not in violation and they say they have the right to protest.
Penn says they're checking protesters' identification and have opened several student disciplinary cases through the Center for Community Standards.
A spokesperson says the university did request assistance from the City of Philadelphia when protest activity began to escalate overnight and with large crowds Friday, adding that they needed resources to keep the community safe.
Philadelphia police had a large presence at the campus Friday, but no arrests have been made.
President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that "order must prevail" as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear.
"Dissent is essential for democracy," Biden said at the White House. "But dissent must never lead to disorder."
RELATED: Pro-Palestinian protesters remain on University of Pennsylvania's campus despite warnings to disband
Tensions on college campuses have been building for days as demonstrators refuse to remove encampments and administrators turn to police to clear them by force, leading to clashes that have seized widespread attention.
Officers began arresting protesters on the University of California Los Angeles campus early Thursday, detaining some with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.
Those who were detained appeared to have been moving willingly with officers, ABC News station KABC reported.
As law enforcement moved into the encampment, some of the protesters began chanting, repeating the phrase "Shame on you" in chorus.
At least 90 people were arrested Wednesday during a protest on the campus of Dartmouth University, local police said.
The people who were arrested included both students and non-students, Hanover Police Department said in a statement released Thursday. Charges included criminal trespass and resisting arrest, police said.
Protests at Columbia University against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have been allegedly "co-opted" by what New York City police officials described as professional outside agitators bent on sowing chaos and violence.
RELATED: How universities are cracking down on a swell of tension months into student protests
Top police brass said protesters unaffiliated with Columbia University have been escalating the violence.
On Thursday morning, the NYPD said a preliminary analysis of the 282 people arrested Tuesday night at Columbia and the City College of New York 47% were not affiliated with either school.
At Columbia, 32 people arrested were not affiliated with the university, while about 80 people were, according to the NYPD. At the City College of New York, 102 people arrested were not affiliated and 68 were, police said.
"I know that there are those who are attempting to say, 'Well, the majority of the people have been students.' You don't have to be the majority to influence and co-opt an operation. That's what this is about," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
