On Oct. 14, Carolyn Marvin, a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, was arrested near Reading Terminal Market after she refused to move aside a delivery robot. The incident shows how a protest can turn into a legal case.

Marvin has been deliberately blocking delivery robots for months. She says she does this because she believes companies are using automation to replace human delivery workers.

She argues that her actions are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Marvin plans to contest the disorderly conduct charge on those constitutional grounds.

The robots she targets are autonomous delivery units created by technology company Avride for Uber Eats. They began making deliveries in Philadelphia in March.

Marvin previously taught a course on the history and theory of freedom of expression, and she has publicly criticized corporations for replacing low‑wage workers with machines. Her protest highlights the tension between automation and job security.