Videos Show Pro-Palestinian Protesters Storm Michigan University Building

Video footage shows pro-Palestinian student demonstrators storming an administrative building, home to the offices of University of Michigan President Santa Ono, and attempting to stage a sit-in protest on Friday.

One clip, viewed 4 million times on X, formerly Twitter, shows a group of protesters crowding outside a door before inadvertently being let in by someone trying to exit the building in Ann Arbor, near Detroit. An on-campus police officer can then be seen attempting to stop the demonstrators gaining entry. Other videos show the students chanting "move cop, get out the way, we know you're Israeli-trained" while campus police look on. They chant "hold the line" after being removed from the building and being kept at bay by a line of officers.

Since Israel began its latest military campaign in Gaza, there have been pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the globe, including on many U.S. college campuses. In some cases, these have spilled over into expressions of support for Hamas' actions and overt antisemitic threats. Michigan has been a hot spot for pro-Palestinian demonstrations since violence erupted between Israel and Hamas in early October.

The Detroit suburb of Dearborn is home to America's largest Muslim population, where sympathy for Palestine runs deep. The state is represented by the only Palestinian American member of Congress, Rashida Tlaib, who has called on the Biden administration to push for a ceasefire. She has accused the president of being complicit in a genocide, which the White House has rebuffed.

The protest, in the Alexander G. Ruthven Building, was organized by Students Allied for Freedom and Equality. The Palestinian advocacy group said it had called the demonstration to pressure the university to "divest from companies that send military equipment to Israel."

Students Allied for Freedom and Equality also accused Israel of perpetrating a genocide against Palestinians—which both Israel and the U.S. deny, citing efforts to avoid civilian casualties—and said that the university's administration was complicit.

Members of a university chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a progressive, anti-Zionist organization that supports the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement and has been criticized by other Jewish organizations, also participated in the protest, posting video footage of their sit-in on social media.

In a statement to Fox News, a University of Michigan spokesperson said that the group had consisted of around 200 protesters. A spokesperson for president's office said the demonstrators "forcefully gained access" to the building when approached by Newsweek on Saturday, but did not respond to questions about the protests' demands.

Another clip on X, taken later in the day, appears to show many of the protesters outside the building, while some remained inside. Locking arms and refusing to leave, they are one-by-one taken away by officers.

Melissa Overton, University of Michigan Police Department's deputy police chief, told Newsweek that the protesters entered the building around 4 p.m. ET. At around 7:30 p.m., officers started giving multiple warnings to the demonstrators to leave or face arrest.

"The vast majority did leave, while some chose to stay," Overton said. "There were a total of 40 arrests and two injuries to officers reported. Those arrested were processed and released at the scene."

Overton said the injuries to the two officers were not life-threatening and occurred when the demonstrators were trying to force entry into the building. "This case will be submitted to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office for review," she added.

Campus police said the sizable protest prompted officers to call on various regional forces and agencies to assist, including Ann Arbor Police, Eastern Michigan University Police and Michigan State Police. The building was emptied and secured by 10:30 p.m. the same evening.

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