Rami George

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: October 26, 2023

Organizers: Philly Palestine Coalition (PPC), JVP Philly: a chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace

Location: Fox News Bldg., Philadelphia, PA

On October 26, 2023, several local anti-Israel organizations, namely PPC and JVP Philly, held an anti-Israel rally at Philadelphia's Fox News Building.

Date: November 2, 2023

Organizers: JVP Philly: a chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)

Location: 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA

Event Flyer: Instagram

On November 2, 2023, JVP Philly and other anti-Israel organizations held a protest at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.

The Instagram post publicizing the event said: "This is an emergency of historic proportions. Genocide is taking place. Never again is NOW."

The phrase “Never Again” is often deployed as a general declaration against genocide, invoking the Nazis’ war of extermination against the Jews.

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.