No, UPenn rally did not call for ‘Jewish genocide’

Penn Students Against the Occupation organized a march on the University of Pennsylvania campus Oct. 16, an event that included students and faculty members waving Palestinian flags and chanting in solidarity with those in Palestinian territories. 

Some social media posts, however, have claimed that participants were calling for the death of Jews. 

"‘We want Jewish genocide’ … this is my alma mater. This is the University of Pennsylvania. They are cheering for my death & the death of all Jews," reads text over a video of people chanting in an Oct. 17 Instagram post.

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Penn Students Against the Occupation, an independent student organization, posted a statement Oct. 18 on Instagram saying that "this claim is false and did not happen whatsoever." 

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Threads posts

stated on April 14, 2024 in a post

“Not even one rocket (from Iran) hit Israel.”

"The chant was ‘Israel, Israel you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.’ Members of the press, including The Daily Pennsylvanian, can testify this information is false." 

The student newspaper called the claims that the group urged Jewish genocide "misinformation."

The Anti-Defamation League also described the claims as a "false narrative," noting that "while the audio is hard to hear at times, the demonstrators are actually chanting ‘Israel, Israel you can’t hide: We charge you with genocide’ — a not-uncommon refrain heard at anti-Israel rallies." 

We rate claims that this video shows University of Pennsylvania students chanting for "Jewish genocide" False.