The University of Michigan has taken disciplinary action against a student group advocating for divestment from companies involved with Israel, suspending their activities for two years. This decision comes amidst heightened campus tensions following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) faced allegations of breaching the university’s conduct standards after organizing a protest outside a regent’s residence last spring and conducting an unauthorized demonstration at the Ann Arbor campus.
These actions are part of a larger wave of campus protests across the U.S. that have been fueled by the ongoing conflict, resulting in significant demonstrations and approximately 3,200 arrests. The conflict was ignited by an attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken.
In response to the unrest, President Donald Trump recently enacted an executive order to combat antisemitism on college campuses, promising strict penalties for those identified as “Hamas sympathizers,” including revoking student visas.
The University of Michigan’s sanctions against SAFE, announced on January 16, prohibit the group from booking university spaces and receiving funding. SAFE has the option to appeal the suspension until next Thursday. However, the earliest the suspension might be lifted is winter 2026, contingent upon compliance with university directives and discussions with officials.
The university emphasized its commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment, stating, “Protests are welcome at U-M, so long as those protests do not infringe on the rights of others, significantly disrupt university events or operations, violate policies or threaten the safety of the community.”
Efforts to obtain comments from SAFE and its national affiliate, Students for Justice in Palestine, have not yet been successful.
Last May, demonstrators, donning masks, staged a protest outside the home of board member Sarah Hubbard in Okemos, Michigan. Approximately 30 participants set up tents and placed mock bloody corpses in the yard, chanting and using bullhorns until local police intervened. No arrests were made during this incident.
Subsequent action by police led to the dispersion of a protest camp on the Ann Arbor campus, resulting in charges against nine individuals for trespassing and resisting arrest.
The protesters’ aim included pressing the university to divest from entities linked to Israel. The university, however, maintains that it holds no direct investments with such companies.
The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public’s broadcast license.
