Anti-Israel masked men came to the homes of University of Michigan Board of Regents members before dawn on Wednesday to protest and demand the adoption of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) policies, according to the university and the regents.
Regent Jordan Acker said on social media that "masked intruders" came to the door of his family residence demanding the defunding of police. He expressed concern for the safety of his daughters, who were sleeping at the home.
Around 4:40 A.M., a masked intruder came to the door of my family's home with a list of demands, including defunding the police. My three daughters were asleep in their beds, and thankfully unaware of what transpired.
— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) May 15, 2024
"This form of protest is not peaceful. Public officials should not be subject to this sort of intimidating conduct, and this behavior is unacceptable from any Michigan community member," Acker wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. "I will not be intimidated. In the wake of the 2020 election, public officials here in Michigan were subjected to threats from mobs of election deniers who engaged in similar conduct."
Regent Sarah Hubbard said that at dawn, a group of around thirty protesters came to her home on Wednesday and erected tents and, according to the university, placed fake corpses wrapped in bloodied sheets on her lawn.
"Protesting at a public official’s private residence is unacceptable and will not move their cause forward in a satisfactory manner," said Hubbard.
Hubbard said the protesters used bullhorns, drums, and chants to disrupt the peace of her neighborhood and taped a list of demands to her front door.
Campus protest escalation
Hubbard reiterated that the board's recent response to the demands was a resounding no. Still, representatives of the encampment said that they would not take "no for an answer" and told her to "stop complaining on Twitter and come to the encampment to actually negotiate."
The University said, "The tactics used today represent a significant and dangerous escalation in the protests that have been occurring on campus."
"Going to an individual’s private residence is intimidating behavior and, in this instance, illegal trespassing," said University Public Affairs. "This kind of conduct is not protected speech; it’s dangerous and unacceptable."
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at the University of Michigan, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), and Transparency, Accountability, Humanity, Reparations, Investment, Resistance (TAHRIR) Coalition claimed responsibility for the protests.
TAHRIR Coalition, claiming to represent 90 student groups at the university, said that the action marked the 76th anniversary of the "Nakba," the displacement of Arab Palestinians during the War of Independence with Israel.
An encampment was established at the University of Michigan on April 22, demanding that the university divest from any companies in business with Israel and boycott Israeli academic institutions. JVP and Tahrir have also demanded the abolishment of policing on campus and hold a "people's audit" to "ensure university operations are transparent, accountable, and align with principles held by all communities the university is obligated to serve."