More than 150 University of Michigan students held Palestinian flags, makeshift babies and signs calling for divestment outside the Alexander G. Ruthven Building for three hours Thursday afternoon while the Board of Regents met inside. The protest was organized to demand the University pursue divestment from companies that support the Israeli military and cease the pursuit of criminal charges against the 40 students arrested at the Nov. 17 protests.
The rally was organized by the TAHRIR Coalition, a coalition of more than 77 U-M student organizations including Students Allied for Freedom and Equality and the U-M chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. The protest follows months of activism by the TAHRIR Coalition and other students at the University calling for divestment. In November, the University canceled two Central Student Government ballot initiatives about the Israel-Hamas war. Last month, the Faculty Senate Assembly passed a resolution condemning the cancellation of the ballot initiatives and called for divestment.
At the press conference before the protest, members of the TAHRIR Coalition announced the “Divest / Don’t Arrest People’s Referendum,” a tri-campus referendum for U-M students, staff and faculty to express their opinions regarding the University’s investment decisions and their pursuit of criminal charges against student protesters.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Alex Sepulveda, JVP chair for activism, spoke about the goals of the referendum.
“The goal will be for all members of the community, from the workers in the dining hall to faculty members to both graduate and undergraduate students on all three campuses … to call the UM (to) immediately divest from any and all companies presently or in the future profiting off of human rights violations committed by Israel and/or aiding in the apartheid system maintained against Palestinians, and that the U-M Board of Regents request that the Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit drop all charges against student protesters.”
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Shubh Agrawal, SAFE external committee member, said SAFE’s goal for the referendum is to represent the views of all three U-M campuses and push the University toward divestment.
“We want this to be all of U of M,” Agrawal said. “We want students who are faculty, staff (at) all three campuses. Everyone wants to show the Regents that U of M does not stand for genocide, does not stand for money being used for that.”
In a message to The Daily following the protest, Sepulveda said he hopes to see the University prioritize ethical investment over popularity with the U-M community when making a decision about investment.
“Ask anybody in upper level administration of this university what their thoughts on divestment,” Sepulveda wrote. “I guarantee you will get the same answer. They say ‘divestment is too divisive.’ They say ‘we don’t want to tear the campus community apart.’ But we don’t care, how could we care? All of us here understand the basic premise that justice is supposed to be divisive. And if you spend so much as one protest organizing with us you will come to understand that the administration does not have a commitment to justice or morality, they have commitment to popularity.”
Following the board meeting, protesters stood around the only exit of the Ruthven parking lot to block board members from leaving. The group stretched out into the street, forcing cars and buses to divert their routes as several Division of Public Safety & Security cars blocked off the street to direct traffic. In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Colleen Mastony wrote that the demonstrators caused a brief interruption in University transit.
“Demonstrators took over the intersection of Church and North University,” Mastony wrote. “Traffic was rerouted, which briefly interrupted the Central Campus Transit Center operation.”
About 20 DPSS officers and State Police officers pushed protesters aside to create a pathway for cars to exit as protesters continued to chant. In an interview with The Daily, Zaynab Elkolaly, SAFE director of activism, said she was pushed by an officer.
“As we moved behind the building, police came up behind us and brutalized us,” Elkolaly said. “I was personally behind a railing and a cop picked it up and pushed me and my other friend down. I sustained physical injuries. At this point, I’ve just lost hope in the entire administration because they’re cooperating and working with people who would seek to harm myself and my friends.”
Mastony wrote that as of Thursday night, the University was unaware of any reports of harm to the protesters.
“There have been no reports to University police of alleged harm to individuals involved in today’s demonstration at the Ruthven Administration Building,” Mastony wrote.
In an email to The Daily, Melissa Overton, Deputy Chief of Police for DPSS, wrote that DPSS is following up on the students impacted by police violence at the protest after seeing a video of the incident posted to SAFE’s Instagram.
“DPSS was made aware of a video clip regarding officers’ interventions with demonstrators and will ensure appropriate, collaborative follow-up engagements are conducted,” Overton said. “We remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment in support of the university’s mission and values.”
Sepulveda said students will not be discouraged by the actions of the U-M administration and police.
“When the police tried to force us away from the building, we refused because it is our right to protest and we locked arms and if they have to push us away,” Sepulveda said. “That’s what they have to do because we’re not backing down. Administration acts shocked at the stories of police brutality against coalition members. ”
Correction 2/16: A previous version of this article quoted Sepulveda to say the word getting instead of aiding. The article has since then been updated to correct that error.
Daily News Editor Sneha Dhandapani and Daily Staff Reporter Madison Hammond can be reached at sdhanda@umich.edu and madihamm@umich.edu.