Dozens Gather and Demand AG Nessel Drop Charges Against Pro-Palestine Protestors
In an Unprecedented Wave of Support
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Last week, the Attorney General, Dana Nessel, filed charges against 11 pro-Palestine protesters arising from their involvement in an encampment at the University of Michigan. The series of charges laid out by Nessel intensified the tensions sparking off a new wave of protests. This Friday, dozens of supporters of the protestors marched in a rally in front of the 15th District Court in Ann Arbor, calling for AG Nessel to drop these charges.
A Catalog of Charges Sparked Organized Protests
Out of the 11 individuals charged, two are facing misdemeanor trespassing charges, seven are facing felony charges for obstructing a police officer, one is charged with disturbing the peace and attempted ethnic discrimination misdemeanors, and one is facing two charges of malicious destruction of personal property misdemeanors. The charges stem from a month-long encampment at the Diag last spring, organized in protest of the Israel-Hamas war.
Josiah Walker, a 24-year-old former student of the University of Michigan, who is facing a misdemeanor charge for trespassing, shared his thoughts about the charges. “I primarily think they’re politically motivated and that, you know, justice isn’t the actual motivation behind them,” he said.
Suppression through Charges
One of the protestors leading the encampment last spring, Salma Hamamy, who has family in the Gaza region and has witnessed the loss of family members due to the conflict, is also facing a misdemeanor trespassing charge. “They are not only trying to prevent us from protesting but also punish us for protesting through these charges. It’s an unprecedented rate of suppression, especially seeing these charges come from the Michigan state attorney general,” Hamamy voiced during the rally.
In defense, Nessel remarked in a press release that multiple warning and opportunities were given to the protesters for a peaceful dispursal but were not adhered to. The violence that ensued after the arrival of the campus police to break up the encampment was the reason behind the felony charges for seven people.
Criticism and Support Continue to Amplify
The protestors maintain that the police introduced violence into the encampment. “I think that it’s the police that brought the violence to our encampment that day. They used a lot of aggression and excessive force against us,” said Sammie Lewis, a participant in the encampment.
The wave of criticism towards the charges is growing while the attorney general stands firm on the belief that charges in this case, like any other, are determined by reviewing the admissible evidence and applying the relevant law. The charged individuals are expected to return to court next month for arraignments, probable cause conferences and possibly for sentencing.
The University of Michigan has yet to respond to requests for comment relating to this significant event.
