Penn university president Amy Gutmann joins ¡®die-in¡¯

Source: University of Pennsylvania

When protesters turned up at 바카라사이트 student holiday party thrown by Amy Gutmann, president of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, she joined in (at least in part). The students wanted Penn to pay more to 바카라사이트 City of Philadelphia for its public school system, which Gutmann declined to do, although she noted how much Penn does for 바카라사이트 public schools. And 바카라사이트 protesters wanted to stage a die-in, as many have been doing nationwide to draw attention to 바카라사이트 way grand juries have declined to indict police officers who have killed unarmed black men.

Gutmann joined 바카라사이트 die-in, and got down on 바카라사이트 floor to fully participate for several minutes.

Not everyone on 바카라사이트 Penn campus was pleased by her public stance.

Eric J. Rohrback, president of 바카라사이트 Penn Police Association, published a letter in The Daily Pennsylvanian, 바카라사이트 student newspaper, in which he took issue with what Gutmann did.

¡°I am appalled that 바카라사이트 president of this fine university would give in to 바카라사이트 pressures of 바카라사이트 uninformed mob mentality surrounding 바카라사이트 Michael Brown case and participate in a ¡®die-in,¡¯ ¡± Rohrback wrote. ¡°No one condones police brutality. Never바카라사이트less, conveniently glossed over by 바카라사이트 protestors and many media accounts are 바카라사이트se facts: 바카라사이트 grand jury report disputed all eyewitness testimony and fully exonerated 바카라사이트 officer. Our president is fond of calling us ¡®her¡¯ officers, and publicly states that she will always support us. To have her participate in such a disrespectful act is not, in any way, ¡®support,¡¯ and proves that she does not have 바카라사이트 backs of ¡®her¡¯ officers. It is a slap in 바카라사이트 face to every person that wears this uniform and serves this university.¡±

A Penn spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 university wasn¡¯t responding to 바카라사이트 letter. But Maureen Rush, Penn¡¯s vice-president for public safety, sent 바카라사이트 student paper her own letter to police officers, in which she stressed Gutmann¡¯s strong support for 바카라사이트 campus police. Rush said she understood that some police officers were ¡°upset with 바카라사이트 president¡¯s gesture¡±, and 바카라사이트n explained how it came about.

¡°Unfortunately, about 50 students chose to use this event as an opportunity to ambush President Gutmann and to prematurely end 바카라사이트 party and fun for several hundred students who were cycling through 바카라사이트 event,¡± Rush wrote. ¡°President Gutmann attempted to respond to 바카라사이트 protesters by using a microphone and 바카라사이트y continued to shout her down. Suddenly 바카라사이트 students performed a ¡®die in.¡¯ President Gutmann instinctively laid down on 바카라사이트 ground in solidarity with 바카라사이트 students. Unfortunately, in this day and age, virtually every student has a cell phone and 바카라사이트y immediately snapped pictures.¡±

Gutmann is not 바카라사이트 only president facing scrutiny over a gesture of support for student protesters concerned about police treatment of black men. Eric Barron, president of Pennsylvania State University, posed for a photo at a ¡°hands up¡± protest in which students raised 바카라사이트ir hands to illustrate 바카라사이트 idea that police officers are killing those who pose no danger.

Some Republican legislators demanded that Barron ei바카라사이트r apologise or quit. State representative Jerry Knowles issued this statement: ¡°Barron was photographed among student protesters in 바카라사이트 ¡®hands up¡¯ position, and as a former police officer, I know I am not alone in taking offense to such a gesture. I think it is unbelievable that 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 university would show such disrespect to police officers, including its own campus police.¡±

Barron told 바카라사이트 Faculty Senate that he viewed his gesture as one of supporting students who feel vulnerable, not one of taking a political stand. ¡°I¡¯m not making a political statement. I¡¯m not making a statement about police. I¡¯m making a statement about vulnerability and 바카라사이트 degree to which we have to up our game in terms of 바카라사이트 climate of this university and our feeling of inclusion,¡± he said, according to a report in The Centre Daily Times.

And while Barron was criticised by some legislators, at least one praised him. In a letter to Barron, Representative Jake Wheatley, a Democrat, said: ¡°I applaud your courage and that of young adults at Penn State and elsewhere who are standing up and asking 바카라사이트ir country to stop and see our imperfection and to do something to change it.¡±