Police arrested four pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan (UMICH), on Wednesday, after they attempted to disrupt a university event. During the Festifall event, about 50 pro-Palestine protesters gathered at the Diag before they were asked to disperse.

Today I was targeted on the Diag by UMPD who are committed to harassing me. UM is committed to their complicity to genocide + apartheid, but we are more committed to winning divestment + we will not be intimidated. @TAHRIRumich pic.twitter.com/dL6D8qbNAY

— sammie🔻 (@EqualRightsPlz) August 29, 2024

According to Colleen Mastony, assistant vice president for public affairs, none of those arrested were students.

Mastony, explaining the situation as the administration viewed it, said that for over an hour, the protesters received several warnings that they were obstructing pedestrian traffic and breaching university policy.

The assistant then added, "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. Three were unaffiliated with the university, and the fourth is a temporary employee."

'Die-in demonstration' to highlight fatalities in Gaza

The Tahrir Coalition, a campus activist group, had previously announced plans for a die-in demonstration at 2:30 pm at the Diag to highlight the fatalities in Gaza.

"We will not celebrate back to school as UM invests in and funds genocide," the group said in an Instagram post, adding, "We are united in our demand for complete divestment."

JOIN US TOMORROW AT 9AM TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF PROTESTER ARRESTED AT FESTIFALL!
The student, who was not participating in today's demonstration, is being subject to a 48-hour hold. Join us for a press conference and rally to demand their release + arraignment tomorrow morning! pic.twitter.com/PWr4umePGV

— TAHRIR Coalition (@TAHRIRumich) August 29, 2024

At an earlier time, Mastony, as a representative of the UMICH underscored that "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."

University of California enacts ban on campus encampments, face masks

The president of the University of California had announced, earlier in August, new bans on encampments and face masks in response to the pro-Palestine protests that have swept across universities in the United States.

Michael V. Drake claimed that these measures are being implemented to “promote a safe and inclusive campus environment that supports open dialogue.” 

“Freedom to express diverse viewpoints is fundamental to the mission of the University, and lawful protests play a pivotal role in that process,” Drake wrote. “While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not.”

Pro-Palestine protests are still ongoing in universities in the US, including demonstrations at various University of California campuses from San Diego and Santa Cruz to Davis.

Ahead of the new semester, Michael V. Drake clarified the policies regarding prohibitions on encampments, unauthorized structures, and the use of masks to conceal identities or avoid identification by university officials. He also instructed university leaders to enforce these rules strictly and consistently.

At UCLA, the Palestine Solidarity Coalition, which grew from the spring encampment and includes groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and UC Divest, has spent the summer conducting workshops called the People’s University for a Liberated Palestine. Marie Salem, a PhD student and media liaison for the coalition, noted that students are organizing to educate others about divestment.

Student protest efforts at UCLA may be hindered by ongoing legal and academic disciplinary issues facing over 200 students who were arrested when police dismantled the campus encampment in May.

Most of these arrests involved misdemeanor charges, which are managed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

A spokesperson for the office said as quoted by The Guardian that five referrals have been received for these cases, with a one-year window for filing charges. Additionally, at least 55 of the arrested students have received letters from the university threatening to place holds on their academic records or withhold their degrees.

“These legal efforts of repression of specifically our movement set really dangerous precedents for the future,” Agnes, a recent UCLA graduate and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, who preferred only to use her first name, told The Guardian.

Members of UCLA’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine dedicated their summer to connecting students with legal assistance and supporting them during their initial court appearances, according to Graeme Blair, a UCLA political science professor and group member.

As the new academic year begins, they plan to closely scrutinize the university and UC system’s policies on encampments and campus policing.

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