No arrests, citations as police continue to monitor encampment by Pitt

PITTSBURGH — No arrests, citations, or “major issues of concern” have been reported at the growing Pro-Palestinian encampment at Schenley Plaza, according to a Public Safety spokesperson.

Police, according to the spokesperson, are continuing to closely monitor the situation, and have increased patrols, to “ensure the event is safe for everyone.”

Channel 11 has visited the site twice since it developed this week. Students first sought to occupy the Cathedral of Learning on Tuesday.

Around 1 p.m., we observed a rally taking place at the site, with national political activist Cornel West joining the crowd, as well as County Councilperson Bethany Hallam.

“I really respect how organized this is and that a lot of folks have come out to show solidarity to drop off supplies and, overwhelmingly, it’s a very safe, peaceful protest.”

The crowd is demonstrating in solidarity with other universities, including Columbia, where leaders have come under fire for failing to make Jewish students feel safe amid protests. The school recently announced that classes will be moving remote.

And, as of Thursday, students across the nation are being arrested for failing to disperse, as police have sought to break up camps.

At Pittsburgh’s encampment, we observed patrol vehicles parked near the plaza, but officers appeared to be observing from a distance.

Hallam told us she came to check on the safety of the demonstrators.

“The correlations that I have seen are, the more police presence, the more escalated the situations are, the more unsafe those situations are,” she said. “So, I do respect that I do not see a high law enforcement presence here, I do not see militarized police in riot gear. That is something that gives me hope for our city and for our students as well.”

Channel 11 has requested an interview with the school’s chancellor or another leader to discuss how the university is monitoring the encampment. At the time this article was published, our request had not been granted.

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