Rep. Rashida Tlaib visits Hamas-endorsed campus encampment, is 'disappointed in' university president

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined anti-Israel protesters at Wayne State University in Michigan on Monday. 

The Michigan Congresswoman has repeatedly criticized Israel in recent months, calling it an “apartheid regime” and condemning the Jewish State’s counterattack against Hamas following the Oct. 7 massacre. 

[RELATED: 13 arrested as police shut down Wayne State pro-Hamas occupation]

“It’s no coincidence that immediately after our government sent the Israeli apartheid regime over $14 billion with absolutely no conditions on upholding human rights, Netanyahu began a ground invasion of Rafah to continue the genocide of Palestinians—with ammunition and bombs paid for by our tax dollars,” she wrote on May 7. 

Tlaib criticized Wayne State President Andrews Espy’s supposed reluctance to meet with protesters, even though the school’s leadership allegedly offered to meet with demonstrators as long as they ended the encampment. 

“These students have every right to say, ‘Look, we’re ready to meet, but we’re not taking down the encampment until we have assurances that you are really going to open up a dialogue and be more transparent,” Tlaib told the Detroit Metro Times. “I’m really disappointed that President Espy is so afraid to meet with her own student body. For someone that is new to campus, you would think she’d want to meet with her diverse community.”

Tlaib also criticized Espy for allegedly trying to rush a meeting with the students in order to put them at a disadvantage.

“I’m so unbelievably disturbed by President Espy’s attempt to offer to come and meet with these students right here on this campus, literally saying ‘ASAP’ when all they said, and I watched them say ‘We’re missing two students, can you give us some time?’ and then they texted the contact person for her office and said they’re ready at 6. Guess what? She issued a statement and lies about her own student body,” she said. 

The university repeatedly asked the protesters to end their encampment before police dispersed the demonstrators on Thursday, arresting at least 12 of them. 

[RELATED: At University of Hawaii, one anti-Israel demonstrator allegedly threatened an innocent student]

“Wayne State University has a proud history of supporting freedom of speech, religion, and the right to peacefully protest, while respecting the voices of our students, faculty, staff, and community,” Espy wrote on Thursday. “When actions violate the law, threaten health and safety, or impair the ability of our campus community to conduct the work of the university, however, we must act.”

A Wayne State University spokesperson pointed Campus Reform to Espy’s statement in response to a request for comment.