BRYN MAWR—The pro-Palestine encampment on Merion Green, referred to as the “People’s College for the Liberation of Palestine” by participants, has come to an end after 19 consecutive days of protest.
The move came after nearly three weeks of continuing tensions between pro-Palestine students and Bryn Mawr administration. On Tuesday evening, those participating in the “People’s College” were informed by student organizers to pack up their tents by 9:30 a.m. the following morning. According to multiple students participating in the protests, administration did not threaten to clear the encampment through forceful measures, such as calling the police, as other colleges and universities did.
Sources from the encampment informed the Bi-Co News that the decision to pack up the tents was a result of a growing dialogue between administrators and student protesters. The Bi-Co News was unable to verify this claim, and has reached out to administration for a comment on these reports. As of publication, administrative representatives have not yet responded.
The protesters managed to disrupt both traditional May Day events, like the May Pole Dance, as well as commencement, which is typically held on Merion Green but was moved to Applebee Field as a result of the encampment. Other events, such as President Kim Cassidy’s retirement celebration, were cancelled because of the campus’s political tensions. In total, the student-led protest drew over 500 participants at times with at least 49 tents present on Merion Green during the height of the encampment.
As of publication, there are no reports of protesters being expelled or suspended as a result of their participation in the “People’s College.” However, multiple student protestors have confirmed to the Bi-Co News that have faced Dean’s Panels over their decision to not move the encampment by May 2.
One student protester, who spoke to the Bi-Co on the condition of anonymity due to concern of administrative retribution, said “I came to Bryn Mawr because I thought that our administration valued student self-representation and had learned from the mistakes that led to the 2020 strike. But the negotiation—or, sorry, we’re supposed to call it “facilitated session”—process has revealed to me that this is false.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article claimed that students protestors have been threatened with Dean’s Panels over their use of specific chants. Since then, multiple student protestors have confirmed to the Bi-Co News that they have already undergone or are currently undergoing Dean’s Panel procedures not for their use of specific chants, but for the decision not to move the encampment by May 2.
