Penn leaders hold third meeting with encampment members: ‘It felt like we were making progress,’ one student said.

Another attempt to schedule negotiations between the University of Pennsylvania leaders and pro-Palestinian encampment protesters nearly fell apart Tuesday after students asked that a city official and state representative be present for the talks.

But ultimately, the Penn leadership did meet for about two hours with eight encampment organizers Tuesday, both students and a university spokesperson confirmed.

”It felt like we were making progress with the school,” said Cece, a Penn graduate student who attended the meeting. She did not want to give her last name because of doxxing and privacy concerns.

Organizers said part of the meeting was dedicated to breaking down their demands for Penn to disclose and divest from companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza. Organizers would not elaborate on other sticking points in negotiations.

Penn declined to comment on the session.

Penn originally had told protesters they could have an outside representative during the negotiation session, but when protesters told the university they wanted District Attorney Larry Krasner and State Rep. Rick Krajewski as facilitators, Penn changed course, according to Krajewski.

Penn administrators said they would only meet with those affiliated with Penn, he said.

» READ MORE: Penn weighs risk of removing encampment, saying it ‘is causing fear for many’

Krajewski said Tuesday evening that he was glad they met anyway, even though he and Krasner could not attend.

“At the end of the day, my position is trying to achieve a peaceful resolution that feels mutually satisfiable,” he said. “Them being able to meet is hopefully a sign that things are moving in the right direction. I’m only interested in facilitating as part of getting to the goal. If both sides feel they can achieve that without me being in the room, that’s fine.”

Krasner was not immediately available.

The latest volley was part of a continued effort in recent days by city officials to urge Penn and encampment leaders to resume negotiations, as the encampment nears its two-week mark, finals begin, and graduation for the West Philadelphia Ivy League approaches.

Penn’s quest for support from city officials has also gotten some pushback, according to two sources close to the conversations. There remains a unified front among city leaders — including between Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, and Krasner — that the encampment protest in its current form should not be disbanded using force, and that Penn should resolve the matter peacefully, the sources said. Penn interim president J. Larry Jameson acknowledged the city’s position in his statement Monday morning.

The sources, who asked not to be identified in order to discuss private conversations, said that city leaders want to avoid anything that could remotely resemble the confrontation between police and protesters at UCLA, Columbia, and other colleges over the past two weeks. More than 2,500 people have been arrested at campus protests since April 18, according to the New York Times’ tally.

» READ MORE: Is the call to divest feasible? Here’s why there are hurdles to Penn protesters’ demands.

Penn has asked the Philadelphia Police Department to assist on any potential action against the encampment, but officials including Bethel have been hesitant to make any commitments, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Police have told Penn that officers will provide backup support in the event of any planned clearing — but that the university must provide 48 hours written notice for them to do so.

The sources said that city officials have also questioned why Penn would not use its own police force to take action — and there is a shared skepticism that it could be a “set up.” If PPD leads the clearing and something goes awry, Penn could in theory wash its hands of responsibility and blame the city, said the sources.

Philadelphia police have a memorandum of understanding with Penn — as they do with other area universities — that says while Penn police are the primary reporting agency for any crimes on campus or in the immediate area, PPD leads investigations and handles arrests. Though the MOU is not legally binding, city police would ultimately end up playing a central role in any forced disbandment, and as sources described it, don’t want “to be left holding the bag.”

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office declined to comment.

» READ MORE: While a few other universities reach compromises with protesters, why can’t Penn?

There is also concern among officials, according to the sources, that if law enforcement moves in to clear the encampment, the matter would not be resolved. Instead, the sources said, officials fear that protesters would only return in greater numbers, and that a law enforcement response could lead to unrest and potentially inspire opportunists to loot local business corridors.

Still, police are sympathetic to the position Penn is in, and are trying to balance students’ needs, protesters’ First Amendment rights, and prevent any city-wide escalation, one source said.

Until Tuesday, Penn administrators and leaders with the encampment have been at a stalemate. They had been giving each other a list of pre-meeting conditions that neither side would likely ever agree to meet. Penn had asked protesters to disband the encampment before they would consider their demands, while protesters feel the encampment is their only leverage.

Meanwhile, encampment representatives had asked Penn to drop disciplinary proceedings against students and agree not to use police to take the down the encampment. Penn has filed disciplinary charges against an additional nine students, bringing the total to 12, protesters said in a press release Tuesday.

Jameson in his Monday email to the campus said disciplinary procedures were continuing and could result in some students not being able to graduate or return to Penn to finish their education.

Despite the more positive outlook after Tuesday’s meeting, organizers were not overly optimistic, calling it “just one meeting.” They declined to say when another meeting would take place but said members of the encampment were ready for prolonged stays, long after commencement, if necessary.

”We are not intentionally planning to disrupt the graduation,” said Cece, the graduate student. She added Penn should lay protesters’ demands at the forefront if they are concerned about the optics of the camp ahead of commencement.

Krajewski, a Penn alum and Democrat who represents parts of West Philadelphia that include the university, said Penn administrators have not been consistent in their conversations and conditions. He said he and Krasner were hoping to attend Tuesday’s negotiations to observe and encourage ongoing conversations and, ultimately, a peaceful resolution.

“I think the best path to addressing any safety concerns the university might have is to truly have open negotiations,” he said earlier in the day Tuesday. “I think the university can set an example for other institutions.”

There are significant hurdles to reaching an agreement. Protesters want the university to commit to divesting its financial holdings from any companies profiting from Israel’s war on Hamas, and Penn has stated unequivocally and repeatedly that it opposes sanctions, boycotts, or disinvestment targeted against Israel.

If they do strike an agreement, Penn very likely could face another uproar from those opposed to negotiating with protesters. Rutgers’ president said Monday that the university has received thousands of emails since striking an agreement last week that voluntarily brought down its encampments, and some legislators have been critical, too.

Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.