Temple suspends pro-Palestinian student group after protesters disrupted job fair

The demonstration against the presence of weapons manufacturers at the event led to four arrests last week.

Temple University placed the Students for Justice in Palestine on interim suspension after protesters disrupted a College of Engineering career fair on Thursday.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice

Temple University issued an interim suspension to the organization Students for Justice in Palestine on Tuesday after protesters disrupted a job fair last week.

The demonstration on Thursday, Sept. 26, at a College of Engineering event inside the Howard Gittis Student Center led to four arrests, including one student, by campus police. 


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"Temple police supervisors attempted to communicate with several demonstrators who ignored their contact," the university said in a statement. "While some demonstrators eventually abided by warnings to leave the building, several individuals were noncompliant and physically engaged our police officers."

A group of 12 to 15 people chanted, shouted and cursed through a megaphone, according to the statement.

"This interim suspension applies to all operations related to SJP, including meetings, activities, socials and philanthropic events," Temple said, adding that the bans were "in accordance with the Student Conduct Code."

A social media post from Students for Justice in Palestine on Thursday said the protest was to express dissent against the presence of weapons manufacturers including Lockheed Martin, Ghost Robotics and General Dynamics at the career fair. The group claims demonstrators started leaving on their own around 11:23 a.m. and that Temple and Philly police officers began "shoving, grabbing and assaulting" protesters three minutes later, taking them to the lobby of the student center and making arrests. The post includes several videos of altercations between demonstrators and police.

Among the accusations from the student group is that police assaulted a protester and took off her hijab after she was pushed down stairs. The organization also claims a female demonstrator was put in a chokehold and had her top pulled.

On Friday, Temple Public Safety released a statement denying each of those claims, saying it had reviewed bodycam and security footage.

"These accusations made by (SJP) against police are deeply concerning, but importantly lack any evidence," Temple Public Safety said, adding that police used "reasonable force" due to resistance from the protesters.

The four people arrested have since been released without charges, but Temple Public Safety said it was working with the District Attorney’s Office on charges of disorderly conduct and other related offenses.

Students for Justice in Palestine did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suspension.