University of Michigan police arrest 4 anti-Israel protesters after disrupting event
Four anti-Israel protesters were arrested at the University of Michigan after attempting to disrupt an organization fair.
The university emphasized its commitment to enforcing policies against disruptive protests.
Four anti-Israel protesters were arrested at the University of Michigan after attempting to disrupt an organization fair.
Colleen Mastony, assistant vice president for public affairs at UMich, told the Detroit Free Press that the incident happened on Wednesday, stating that the protesters were asked to leave but refused, then were arrested.
“For more than an hour, they were given multiple warnings that made clear they were blocking pedestrian traffic and violating university policy,” she said. “Most eventually dispersed although some refused to leave and, as a result, four people were arrested.”
“None of the people who were arrested were students,” Mastony continued. “Three were unaffiliated with the university, and the fourth is a temporary employee.”
The UMich spokesperson asserted that the university is committed to enforcing its policies against disruptive protests.
“The university has been clear that we will enforce our policies related to protests and expressive activity, and that we will hold individuals accountable for their actions in order to ensure a safe and inclusive enforcement for all,” Mastony explained.
Prior to the arrests, an anti-Israel student group at UMich called the TAHRIR Coalition took to Instagram to express its distaste for the university’s investments and advertise the planned pro-Palestine demonstration.
“We will not celebrate back to school as UM invests in and funds genocide,” the group posted on Aug. 27. “We are united in our demand for complete divestment from the zionist entity, and are committed to holding UMich administration accountable.”
Campus Reform reported earlier this month that members of UMich’s student government have threatened to withhold funding for student groups unless the school administration divests from Israel.
“The Shut it Down movement ran on a completely transparent platform,” said Alifa Chowdhury, the student body president. “This is really to send a message to regents that you can’t just give us, student government leaders, a lump sum on money and expect us to stay silent with that. The point of student government is to make our voices heard.”
“There is a very easy fix to this, and that is to divest,” Chowdhury added. “We are asking them to divest, and then everything can go back to normal. They really forced our hand with this.”
One student contended that the university “does not deserve to function as normal” so long as it has financial connections to companies with links to Israel.
“The University of Michigan is one of those institutions (whose) $6 billion of the endowment are implicated in the genocide or occupation of people of Palestine,” said UMich student Shubh Agrawal. “And the University of Michigan does not deserve to function as normal while it continues to do those things.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Michigan for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
