Outside State Hall at Wayne State University Friday afternoon it was quiet and peaceful, but the students and community members camped out there had a list of demands.
People sat on blankets on the lawn amid signage urging “WSU divest now” and “Let Gaza live.” Some grabbed grape leaves and meat pies from a food station in the back, others pulled out rugs to engage in prayer with Mufti Abdul Wahab, the executive director and co-founder of the Miftaah Institute in Warren.
Wayne State joins a growing list of colleges in Michigan and across the country to have pro-Palestinian encampments on campus. A coalition of at least 50 people, including the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine, alumni and community members put up tents Thursday night following a protest outside the Welcome Center.
The small encampment at the Detroit university comes after Wayne State Police removed pro-Palestinian protesters from the Board of Governors meeting on April 26 and days after University of Michigan police broke up an encampment and arrested four people, citing potential fire hazards.
U-M students on April 22 joined peers in national encampment demonstrations following the arrest of more than 100 students at Columbia University in New York. Some of the other colleges that have taken part in protests include Michigan State University, Harvard University, University of Southern California and Ohio State University.
The Israel-Hamas War began Oct. 7 when the terrorist group Hamas led surprise attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, according to the Congressional Research Service. In response, Israel launched attacks in Gaza.
The war has killed at least 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians. Around 80% of the population of 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced within the territory, often multiple times, reported the Associated Press.
Across the country and the world, students at universities have organized in protest of the US giving weapons to Israel and failing to agree to a ceasefire to stop attacks in Gaza.
Zaynah Jadallah, a Wayne State alum and spokesperson for the demonstration, said one area of contention among protesters is the college’s investment in companies that allegedly manufacture weapons used by Israel.
“Wayne State has a portfolio called SP 500 that funds war manufacturing companies such as Lockheed Martin, L3Harris and Boeing that manufactures weapons that goes to the destruction of Gaza by the Israeli occupation,” she said.
Another demand from protesters includes a response from President Kimberly Andrews Espy and the Board of Governors for a police resolution passed by the Student Senate last month. The resolution called for Wayne State police to break their ties with the Israeli government, claiming that officers have received anti-terrorism training from Israel, reported the college’s newspaper The South End.
The other demands include:
- Reaffirm students’ First Amendment rights to protest and dissent.
- Protect students and faculty members advocating for Palestine from all forms of hostility and conduct a formal inquiry into the harassment they experience.
- Accurately represent the city of Detroit and call for a ceasefire.
- Offer financial and legal help for Palestinian students who are on a visa.
- Offer programming for Palestinians and people who have been evacuated from Gaza.
Back in November, the Detroit City Council signed a resolution calling for a ceasefire with all but two of the nine-member board agreeing.
In Friday evening letter to students, faculty and staff, Espy addressed the pain and loss felt by many from the Wayne State university community. She referenced numerous protests on campus tied to the global conflict, including a peaceful Thursday march that took place on campus. It was followed by the smaller group that established the encampment, she said.
“Occupants removed and relocated fencing, traffic safety equipment, and other materials from construction sites and roadways, creating multiple public safety hazards,” Espy wrote. “We cannot confirm how many of the occupants may be our students, but it appears that many in the group are not affiliated with WSU.”
Espy said the university supports free speech and the right to protest, but must distinguish that from actions that violate the law and threaten health and safety.
University leadership, Espy said, has been meeting regularly in response to the encampment, brought on additional security and paused construction work at the DeRoy Auditorium.
“In keeping our commitment to productive dialogue, we believe it’s important to connect directly with occupants of the encampment,” Espy said. “Today (Friday), we were able to share several concerns about the encampment, and representative occupants shared their demands for divestment and policing reform.
“We will continue our attempts to engage with occupants of the encampment and advance dialogue about our concerns,” Espy added. “Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of everyone on our campus, including the occupants of the encampment.”
Miriam Starkman, executive director of Hillel of Metro Detroit, which runs the Jewish Student Organization at Wayne State, said in an emailed statement that it’s a scary time to be a Jewish student on campus.
“We hope the Wayne State administration enforces its policies so that all students can have a safe environment to pursue their education,” she said. “Further, we hope the administration makes clear its condemnation of antisemitic rhetoric.”
Jadallah said protesters will stay at the encampment until they can have an open dialogue with Espy and the Board of Governors.
“An acknowledgment of the encampment is not enough,” she said. “We need her to be open for dialogue and discussion to talk about divestment and the police resolution.”
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