DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Nine pro-Palestinian protesters at Swarthmore College were arrested Saturday morning after police disbanded a four-day encampment on campus.
In a video posted to the Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine — a suspended student organization — Instagram account, Stephanie Ives, the vice president of Student Affairs, walked into the encampment with Swarthmore Borough Police and told the protesters the encampment must disperse, as their actions put the community at risk.
“We have informed you multiple times in writing and verbally on Wednesday, Thursday, and yesterday that this encampment has to disperse,” Ives said. “You need to stop participating. It is a violation of college policy. We gave you trespass notices. We posted trespass notices. They were vandalized.”
Ives then informed the protesters that failure to disperse would lead to a citation for trespassing or an arrest.
“This is your last opportunity to end the encampment and leave this area. I'm asking you to do this for the last time,” she said.
Swarthmore Borough Police Chief Raymond Stufflet then gave protesters 10 minutes to vacate the premises and leave Swarthmore College property, or else they would be arrested.
According to a statement from Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith, several students followed the advice of law enforcement and left the encampment.
Smith says the rest of the group ignored warnings, and police began disbanding the encampment, arresting nine people, including one student and one former student. They all face misdemeanor trespassing charges.
The college says those affiliated with the school will be placed on immediate suspension and cannot return to campus until the student conduct process ends.