Hundreds of students and faculty at Temple, Drexel and Penn staged walkouts and rallies at their respective campuses Thursday afternoon. They then marched through Philadelphia streets with other demonstrators as part of a nationwide string of activities to condemn the death toll of the Israel-Hamas war and demand an immediate cease-fire.
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Protesters march at Temple University’s campus Thursday afternoon, April 25. (Emma Lee/WHYY) -
Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters face off under the Bell Tower on Temple University’s campus. (Emma Lee/WHYY) -
Qais Dana, a Community College of Philadelphia student from Palestine, and a Jewish student, who identified himself only as Danny, clash during a protest on Temple University’s campus. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
At 1p.m., students gathered at Temple’s Bell Tower where members of Temple University’s Students For Justice in Palestine and Temple Law Students for Justice in Palestine led chants and messaging. The groups laid out their demands: Divestment of Temple’s finances from companies involved with Israel, an academic boycott of Israel and a call for a permanent ceasefire.
A group of pro-Israeli demonstrators carrying Israeli flags stood near 12th Street, and counter protested during the larger rally and as the pro-Palestinian group moved towards the Cecil B. Moore SEPTA Station.
After continuing to chant and rally on the platform, the group crowded on SEPTA trains heading towards City Hall.
Once the protesters arrived, they rallied outside City Hall next to the statue of Octavius V. Catto. From there, they marched down JFK Boulevard, then Market Street towards West Philly.
At Drexel, between 60 and 70 pro-Palestine demonstrators – and about a dozen pro-Israel counter-protestors – started their demonstrations by the Dragon statue around 3 p.m., before joining the Temple group and marching together towards Penn.
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Protesters continued their march from City Hall to Drexel University. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) -
Protesters pass 30th Street Station on their way towards Drexel. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) -
A pro-Palestine protest of about 70 people on Drexel University campus is met bus about a dozen Israel supporters. (Emma Lee/WHYY) -
A demonstration also happened at Drexel University, with 60-70 pro-Palestine demonstrators and 5-10 pro-Israel counter demonstrators. (Nick Kariuki/Billy Penn)
At Penn’s campus, the protest continued around the Split Button sculpture and the statue of Benjamin Franklin. Members of Penn’s faculty and student body gave speeches laying out their demands of the University.
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Protesters at the UPenn Franklin statue. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) -
Protesters marched from City Hall down Market Street and met up with others from Drexel University. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) -
Hundreds of protesters gathered at City Hall on April 25, 2024 to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Check out WHYY News and Billy Penn’s detailed reporting here.
