Gabriel Gibboni

Date: April 25, 2024

Organizers: Philly Palestine Coalition (PPC)

Location: Penn campus, Philadelphia, PA

Event Flyer: Instagram

On April 25, 2024, anti-Israel activists from Penn, Temple University and Drexel University set up the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on the Penn campus to protest Israel's war against Hamas.

PPC also promoted the encampment by posting an Instagram graphic that said: "Join The Penn Encampment! Rally to Support Our Students and Stand With Gaza!"

The encampment was part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Date: February 9, 2024

Organizer: Temple SJP: a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

Location: Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Event Flyer: Instagram

On February 9, 2024, Temple SJP, a pro-Hamas and pro-terror activist group, held an anti-Israel walkout and rally on the Temple campus. Activists began at the Bell Tower and then marched to an area next to O'Connor Plaza and the Charles Library.

The Temple SJP flyer for the event said: "‼️‼️ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, & ALUMNI‼️‼️Join us for a walkout and rally on friday, february 9th [sic] at 3pm @ the bell tower!🇵🇸🇵🇸 / We stand in full solidarity with Palestine and demand an end to the genocide and an immediate ceasefire. Bring posters, kuffiyehs, flags, and your loud voices 🚨."

Date: February 21, 2024

Organizers: Philly Palestine Coalition (PPC), Temple SJP: a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

Location: Charles Library, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Event Flyer: Instagram

On February 21, 2024, Temple SJP held an anti-Israel "Die-In" event outside the university's Charles Library.

Ahmed Manasra (sometimes spelled Mansara) and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan went on a stabbing spree in Jerusalem on October 12, 2015, during the Knife Intifada. They critically wounded a 13-year-old boy and moderately wounded a 25-year-old man. The spree ended when police shot Hassan and a passing motorist hit Ahmed. Ahmed was taken to an Israeli hospital. He admitted to investigators: “I went there to stab Jews.” He was later tried and convicted on two counts of attempted murder.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by pro-terror activist Omar Barghouti in 2005 to turn “Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.” Barghouti has also called for Israel's destruction and the BDS movement demands would result in that same goal.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been infiltrating university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments propose resolutions to boycott or divestment from Israel or Israeli-affiliated entities. BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents and pro-terror activism on campus.