This article was originally published at StateOfUnion.org. Publications approved for syndication have permission to republish this article, such as Microsoft News, Yahoo News, Newsbreak, UltimateNewswire and others. To learn more about syndication opportunities, visit About Us.
Police in suburban Detroit are investigating Pro-Palestinian graffiti on a Michigan law firm’s building as a potential hate crime.
The graffiti, deemed antisemitic, was discovered by staff at the Goodman Acker law firm’s headquarters in Southfield, with red paint splatters on the sign above the doors.
“FREE PALESTINE” in black spray paint was used to paint on the walls of the building, while “DIVEST NOW” and “U-M KILLS” a reference to the University of Michigan were painted in red on at least one window and on the sidewalk.
According to Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren, the graffiti is believed to have been done between 1:39 and 1:46 a.m.
The FBI and other authorities are helping with the investigation. “Make no mistake that targeting individual Jewish elected officials is antisemitism,” Acker, who is Jewish, told reporters.
“This has nothing to do with Palestine or the war in Gaza or anything else,” Acker continued. “This is done as a message to scare Jews. I was not targeted here today because I am a regent. I am a target of this because I am Jewish.”
Jordan Acker, who became a member of the university board in 2018, is among eight regents. Recent protests have also targeted other board members. Protest camps have emerged in various locations in the U.S. and Europe in the past few weeks.
Students are demanding that their universities cease any dealings with Israel or its supporting companies involved in the conflict in Gaza. The organizers aim to raise awareness and push for an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which they view as a genocide against the Palestinian people.
There have been over 85 incidents documented since April 18 involving arrests during campus protests throughout the U.S. Over 3,110 individuals have been arrested on the premises of 64 colleges and universities. These statistics are compiled from AP reports and information provided by universities and law enforcement agencies.
In late May, law enforcement disbanded a pro-Palestinian camp that had been set up for a month on the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus. Approximately 50 individuals were removed from the campus hub, known as the Diag, which has a long history of hosting protests. Four people were taken into custody during the operation.
On May 15, a group of 30 protesters gathered at the residence of Board of Regents Chair Sarah Hubbard. They positioned red-stained sheets on her lawn resembling body bags, accompanied by drumming and chants using a bullhorn. Masked individuals also left demands at the doorsteps of other board members.
The protesters are urging the university to cease investing its endowment in companies linked to Israel. However, the university asserts that it has no direct investments in such companies, with less than $15 million invested in funds that potentially involve Israeli firms, accounting for less than 0.1% of the overall endowment.