CAIR-Pennsylvania Denounces UPenn, Gov. Shapiro Actions Leading to Arrest of Students and Disbanding of UPenn Encampment
(PHILADELPHIA/PITTSBURGH, PA, 5/10/2024) – The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Pennsylvania), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, denounced University of Pennsylvania for violently disbanding the encampment at Penn and calling on the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) to arrest student protesters condemning the ongoing genocide in Palestine. CAIR-Pennsylvania also condemned Governor Josh Shapiro for his remarks in Pittsburgh yesterday where he encouraged UPenn to remove the encampment.
In a statement Dr. Ahmet Tekelioglu, Executive Director of CAIR-Philadelphia said: “Gov. Shapiro once again displayed his anti-Palestinian bias by calling on violence against peaceful protestors when local politicians and clergy had urged and worked towards a facilitated negotiation process between the students and Penn Administration. University of Pennsylvania should be ashamed of yet another example of its disregard for its own community’s demands and well-being. We stand in solidarity with these courageous peaceful protestors.”
Christine Mohamed, Executive Director of CAIR-Pittsburgh, added: “Governor Shapiro’s stance is not only misguided but deeply concerning. To suggest that the exercise of constitutional rights is contingent upon government approval is an affront to democracy. This attempt to strip away fundamental freedoms under the guise of safety is a blatant abuse of power. We will remember this betrayal of public trust at the polls. The people will not forget.”
See: ‘Past time’: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro calls on Penn to disband pro-Palestinian encampment
Yesterday, CAIR-Philadelphia denounced University of Pennsylvania’s decision to ban 6 encampment students from campus, ongoing threat of police violence on students.
-END-
Contact: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu, PhD., atekelioglu@cair.com, 617-401-5397; CAIR-Pittsburgh Executive Director Christine Mohamed, cmohamed@cair.com, 412-606-3601.
Due to the recent developments in the Middle East and those speaking out at rallies, social media, and other venues, we are reminding our community of their civil rights when dealing with law enforcement.
