Protests over U-M's Israel investments brings threat of 'disruptive activity' penalty
Student groups protest U-M's stance on free speech, Israel
"We found that the university invests in numerous companies that supply the Israeli military," one protesting student said during her speech. "U of M is connected to companies that provide weapons, surveillance technology, and other equipment to the Israeli occupation forces."
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Students are continuing their protests at the University of Michigan, demanding the school divests from companies that support Israel's military.
Despite university officials considering a "Disruptive Activity" policy to punish students who disrupt events, students vow to continue protesting. They claim the university is attempting to silence their free speech.
U-M students organized yet another demonstration on Thursday to show their frustration with U-M's financial support of Israel during its war on Gaza and other Palestinian territories. The protest began at the Diag, went through the campus, and ended at the Michigan Union building.
"We found that the university invests in numerous companies that supply the Israeli military U of M is connected to companies that provide weapons, surveillance technology, and other equipment to the Israeli occupation forces," one protesting student said during her speech. "Our university's endowment provides significant financial support to the Israeli government, military and economy. Our university is entirely complicit in the deaths of over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza."
Protesters even went inside the Union, where they rallied for a short period of time. The protest did not escalate.
University of Michigan students protest on campus on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
Students also made their voices heard at an Honors Convocation, disrupting U-M President Santa Ono on March 25. This prompted the proposal of the "Disrupted Activity" policy.
However, protests by their very nature are meant to be disruptive, students said. They plan to keep disrupting.
Back in November, protesters marched to the office of the university president and refused to leave, resulting in the arrest of several students.
UM Ann Arbor student resolutions ask university to take stance on Israel-Hamas war
The resolutions stemmed from petitions with enough signatures to be included on the ballot for the U of M Student Central Government elections. Voting is open to approximately 50,000 students on campus, until Thursday night.
"We demand that we drop the charges against our student leaders, and we demand that you stop trying to sanction free speech and protests," another student said during Thursday's demonstration.
There is no doubt that there will be further protests on this issue, according to U-M students.