Philadelphia, PA – CIA Director John Brennan came to the University of Pennsylvania, April 1, for a talk on “modern foreign policy issues, national security, and the future of the global fight against terrorism.” Firmly drawing the line against Brennan’s warmongering, a group of Philadelphia activists and organizers, led by the UPenn chapter of Students for Democratic Society (SDS), decided to disrupt his speech.

Students rallied outside the building while several small groups of student protesters disrupted

inside the program. Students chanted anti-war slogans like “Drones kill kids,” and “No justice, no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East,” interrupting Brennan every ten minutes.

UPenn SDS member Lucas Lipatti said, “We also chanted ‘Black lives matter’ to connect the struggle against imperialism and neocolonialism at home and abroad.”

The students carried Palestinian flags as well as banners reading, “Drone strikes breed terrorism,” and “CIA = terrorist organization.”

Each time protesters rose and disrupted, Secret Service agents rushed over to forcibly remove the students. Ex-CIA Director Brennan exited the stage after being disrupted for the third time, expecting more disruptions to come.

As an organization that stands firmly against U.S. wars and occupations, UPenn SDS decided to confront Brennan and challenge the University of Pennsylvania for offering a platform to justify war crimes and perpetuate the narrative that the CIA is a benevolent force in the world.

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