A Pennsylvania state lawmaker reportedly warned members of the University of Pennsylvania's anti-Israel encampment in early May of a "credible threat" for a police sweep.
The Washington Examiner, citing a group chat communication it had obtained, reported Pennsylvania Democrat House Rep. Rick Krajewski "relayed" the warning, saying it was happening within the "next 24 hours."
The warning gave the group time to get rid of equipment before the encampment was torn down by law enforcement May 10, the outlet reported.
"CALLING ALL REDS," one protester wrote, the Washington Examiner reported. "Credible threat of sweep relayed by Rick Krajewski. Timeline is next 24 hrs. If you can come please come. We need numbers to defend camp and also to build structures to make camp more defensible."
The term "Reds" apparently refers to a subgroup of UPenn anti-Israel protesters who don't care if they get arrested, the outlet reported.
According to the Washington Examiner, messages show after the warning, encampment members discussed what kind of "materials" to bring to "reinforce" the camp — including chains, bike locks, wood planks, boards, and pallets.
As the protesters awaited a "sweep," messages revealed they discussed removing a collection of "sharps [that could be used as weapons] and power tools," among other items, the outlet reported.
The Washington Examiner reported the protesters also spoke about how one protester was pulling his car around to the east side entrance and would "be ready to grab and receive" the items.
In the middle of the night, a "Red" protester later claimed they'd received a "two-minute warning."
Krajewski has been a vocal supporter of what he called "Penn's anti-war encampment" and visited the encampment. He didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, the outlet reported.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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