Penn leaders hold third meeting with encampment members: ‘It felt like we were making progress,’ one student said.
Organizers said part of the meeting was dedicated to breaking down their demands for Penn to disclose and divest from companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza. Organizers would not elaborate on other sticking points in negotiations.
The sources said that city officials have also questioned why Penn would not use its own police force to take action — and there is a shared skepticism that it could be a “set up.” If PPD leads the clearing and something goes awry, Penn could in theory wash its hands of responsibility and blame the city, said the sources.
Meanwhile, encampment representatives had asked Penn to drop disciplinary proceedings against students and agree not to use police to take the down the encampment. Penn has filed disciplinary charges against an additional nine students, bringing the total to 12, protesters said in a press release Tuesday.
”We are not intentionally planning to disrupt the graduation,” said Cece, the graduate student. She added Penn should lay protesters’ demands at the forefront if they are concerned about the optics of the camp ahead of commencement.