It’s back to school at the University of Michigan and that means the “Festifall” celebration for returning students is on. Festifall is a two-day fair that allows students to reconnect and examine various clubs and organizations the school has to offer.
Advertisement
Also present at Festifall were about 50 pro-Hamas protesters. They didn’t have a permit but they held their little “die-in” anyway. “Die-ins” were silly when they first became popular 50 years ago during the Vietnam protests and they’re even sillier now.
The cops gave them their three warnings and then moved in.
BREAKING: Arrests made at the University of Michigan after police mobilized to stop a pro-Palestine demonstration at The Diag during Festifall on campus pic.twitter.com/xQPF3zYWGZ
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 28, 2024
U of M has become a pro-Hamas hotbed with blatantly antisemitic messaging.
“A Dead Zionist a Day Keeps Genocide Away”
“Hamas 2024!”
“Kill Your ‘Reps'”
“Zionism is Nazism”These stickers were found a 5 minute walk from the University of Michigan (@UMich) campus, home to over 6,500 Jewish students. pic.twitter.com/zfrL8Qfjr3
— Josh Brown (@jbis9051) August 30, 2024
Last spring, a pro-Hamas majority was elected to the student assembly. They pledged to withhold all funding for student activities until the university divested itself of anything Israel.
Later in the day, more protesters tried to take over the administrative building that housed the offices of the president.
Violent scenes at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as violent pro-Palestine protesters storm the Ruthven Building on campus. pic.twitter.com/2vF6eJIbZb
— Andy Ngo 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 17, 2023
Advertisement
The protesters call themselves members of the TAHRIR Coalition which is an acronym for “Transparency, Accountability, Humanity, Reparations, Investment, and Resistance.” I think it’s related to INSTAJ (Idiotic Nincompoops Supporting Terrorism Against Jews).
Yitz Pierce, the program director at the Jewish Resource Center on campus, stood with the counter-protestors, bringing them water bottles in the oppressive summer heat.
“I came out just to make sure things stay safe. I wanted to be here to show my support for my people and make sure they felt that they have a face that they know, because although it hasn’t gotten violent, it’s gotten very scary,” Pierce told The Post.
The anti-Israel protestors, who did not have a permit to demonstrate, passed out fliers listing their demands that the school divest from “Israeli apartheid and genocide,” establish a “People’s Audit,” boycott Israeli academic institutions, and abolish campus policing.
Why does one of the first things that activists want is to abolish local police?
University spokesperson Colleen Mastony issued a statement.
“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 wrote. “Today, a group of approximately 50 individuals sought to disrupt a university event and were asked to disperse. For more than an hour, they were given multiple warnings that made clear they were blocking pedestrian traffic and violating university policy.”
Advertisement
Public Policy junior Assmaa Eidy, a TAHRIR member whined about censorship.
“It’s been a continuation of the University trying to suppress us, villainize us and criminalize us and use any attempt they can to limit our freedoms to protest and essentially our right to protest the genocide that they’re complicit in,” Eidy said.
It must be nice to be a brain-dead terrorist supporter. You don’t have to think. All you have to do is spout inanities and wait for the applause from other brain-dead terrorist supporters.
