Gov. Josh Shapiro knew officials were prepping to take down Penn’s encampment as he called for its removal

As Gov. Josh Shapiro first called for the University of Pennsylvania to disband an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters, he knew Penn and the city were already behind the scenes working to end it.

Shapiro said at a news conference Thursday the protest had reached an “absolutely unacceptable point.” It was “past time for the university to act to address this, to disband the encampment and restore order and safety on campus,” he added.

It was the first time he’d been asked about the issue in almost a week, and he credited his changed opinion to the escalation of the protest Wednesday night.

But according to sources close to him who spoke on the condition on anonymity, Shapiro already knew a plan was coming together by Penn and Philadelphia Police to remove the encampment.

Shapiro’s perfectly timed remarks — which looked like he was pressuring Penn, when he already knew officials were preparing to step in — show his careful strategy: work behind the scenes, speak out when it’s right politically, and step into a central role to share credit for restoring order on the campus.

Shapiro had been speaking at an unrelated news conference in Westmoreland County on Thursday morning when he was asked by a reporter about the 16-day protest on Penn’s campus. That opened the door for Shapiro to get ahead of Penn and city police disbanding the encampment by calling for its removal.

The first-term governor — who is rumored to have national ambitions in the 2028 presidential election — has been outspoken about his support for Israel, as Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor. He has condemned some protests of Israel’s campaign in Gaza that targeted Philly businesses, and made headlines with his criticism of former Penn president Liz Magill’s congressional testimony about the school’s handling of antisemitic speech on campus. His criticism against Magill proved to be a turning point, and she later resigned.

Up until Thursday — when six students participating in the encampment were placed on mandatory leaves of absence — Shapiro had said repeatedly students and faculty had the right to protest as long as they weren’t breaking any laws during the weeks-long demonstration, which was largely peaceful. That changed overnight Wednesday, when Penn students were suspended and organizers tried to expand the encampment.

Shapiro’s comments also offered Penn and the city cover to move forward, knowing they had the support of the state’s top executive as they enacted their early-a.m. plan to take down the encampment. Thirty-three people were arrested as part of the disbandment.

Before organizers set up on Penn’s campus last month, Shapiro seemed poised to step into the spotlight again if protests became disruptive on a Pennsylvania campus — and potentially with force.

He told national reporters in Washington, D.C. that any elected official would need to step in if universities “can’t guarantee the safety and security and well-being of the students.”