University of Michigan: Anti-Israel protest at board chair's home 'dangerous escalation'

Protesters calling for divestment from Israel demonstrated outside the home of the chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, placing body bags and stuffed animals made to appear bloodied on her porch and front lawn. A university spokesperson called the protest a "dangerous escalation."

At about 6 a.m. Wednesday, demonstrators appeared in Meridian Township at the home of Sarah Hubbard, who leads the board of the largest university in Michigan. The protest was held on the 76th anniversary of what Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when they were expelled in 1948 after the founding of Israel.

Hubbard said she was awakened by their chants that were shouted through a bullhorn to the beat of a drum.

"Regent Hubbard, you can't hide, you are funding genocide," they chanted, according to a video posted by one of the protesting groups, TAHRIR Coalition, on their X account.

"They arrived at my home at about 5:54 a.m. per my ring doorbell camera," Hubbard told the Free Press by phone. "About 30 or so protesters erected three tents on my lawn, left scattered other debris about, left me a letter taped to my front door, and then proceeded to chant and march and disrupt my neighborhood for some time, until the Meridian Township police arrived, and they left."

Several body bags with red paint on them were placed on the porch and lawn as the protesters, wearing hoods and masks concealing their faces, taped a list of their demands on her front door, she said. The body bags appeared to represent people killed in Gaza in recent months in Israeli military attacks launched after Hamas struck Israel on Oct. 7.

"They were making a lot of noise," Hubbard said. "My neighbors were wondering what was going on."

University spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen criticized the actions of the protesters, who have been demonstrating on campus in recent weeks, including setting up an encampment at the Diag on campus.

"The tactics used today represent a significant and dangerous escalation in the protests that have been occurring on campus," Broekhuizen said. "Going to an individual's private residence is intimidating behavior and, in this instance, illegal trespassing. This kind of conduct is dangerous and unacceptable."

The protesters went to other homes, Broekhuizen said. Another regent, Jordan Acker, said on X that at about "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. ... This form of protest is not peaceful. Public officials should not be subject to this sort of intimidating conduct."

Broekhuizen said that "more than 30 student protesters staged demonstrations at the private residence of at least one U-M Board of Regents member and went to several others’ residences. Activities included placing tents and fake corpses wrapped in bloodied sheets on the lawn, marching and chanting, and posting demands on doors. Individuals hid their identities by wearing masks."

In addition to the TAHRIR Coalition, two other left-wing groups were involved with the protests: Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at the University of Michigan, according to social media posts, Broekhuizen said.

Emails and messages sent to the three groups protesting were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

On April 22, student protesters set up tents at the Diag after a similar tent encampment was erected at Columbia University. The encampment at Columbia was later taken down by police. In contrast to several other universities in other states, police in Ann Arbor have not interfered with the tent encampment so far.

Hubbard said Wednesday the regents have no plans to divest from Israel. They have an upcoming public meeting on Thursday at the Dearborn campus of the university.

"I think it is inappropriate to protest public officials at their private residence," Hubbard said. "We have public meetings, including one tomorrow (Thursday) where protesters or any member of the public is welcome to provide public comment, and engage with the Board of Regents in that manner. And this group has done that in the past. And that's the place to do it. So we have spoken very clearly related to their requests for us to divest our endowment, and we are not making any changes in our investments per their demands. So for them to come to my house was inappropriate, frankly, and really does nothing to advance their cause."

Michigan synagogue: Police investigate attack on members by 'Jew hater'

Proponents of divestment from Israel compare their movement to divestment protests in the 1980s against South Africa's apartheid rule. Divesting from Israel would be difficult for the University of Michigan since there is a law in Michigan prohibiting state contracts with anyone who supports divestment from or boycotting Israel.

Other events are planned in coming days in Michigan to recall the Nakba. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, the only member of Congress of Palestinian descent, said on X Wednesday: "The Nakba never ended," comparing what happened in 1948 to what has happened to Palestinians in recent months. Some Jewish groups in metro Detroit are planning events celebrating Israel's independence day, which was Tuesday.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: [email protected] or X @nwarikoo

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: University of Michigan slams anti-Israel protests at home as dangerous