Police arrested nine protestors, including seven agitators, while breaking up a pro-Palestinian encampment on Swarthmore College’s campus in an ugly scene Saturday — a “terribly difficult” decision the school’s president says was in part prompted by FBI scrutiny.
One current and one former student of the private liberal arts school in the suburbs of Philadelphia were arrested, while the seven others were activists who were not affiliated with the college.
“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,” Swarthmore President Valerie Smith said in a statement.
Smith said members of a suspended student organization repeatedly invited non-students to join the encampment through Instagram, and unknown individuals began to arrive on campus soon after.
“Many, if not all, of the protestors — both students and non-students — were fully masked and tried to remain unidentifiable,” Smith added.
In an Instagram video posted by Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine, Vice President of Student Affairs Stephanie Ives is seen arriving at the encampment just before 8 a.m. Saturday, accompanied by two police officers.
“This encampment and the actions you’ve been involved in put this community at risk,” Ives tells protestors.
“Because we cannot even identify you, we do not know whom amongst you is a student and who’s not.”
Police then tell students they have 10 minutes to pack up and go.
“Leave Swarthmore College property — or you will be arrested,” said Swarthmore Borough Police Chief Raymond Stufflet.
When students refuse to leave, about 30 police officers begin breaking up the encampment — throwing lawn chairs, tearing signs and pulling down tents, as students chant “free Palestine.”
Dozens of cops are seen lining up to handcuff students — at one point four officers pulling and pinning a protestor to the ground.
“Let them f—ing go, pig!” a protestor is heard yelling. “Get the f–k off them.”
The encampment first formed Wednesday, and the college said it suspended seven students earlier this week.
Swarthmore is one of 60 colleges at risk of having federal funding taken away over what the US Department of Education has said is antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus.
President Trump on Friday said he was stripping Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, escalating a showdown with the Ivy League university.
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