ANN ARBOR (WWJ) — University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker is speaking out after his home was apparently the subject of an early morning protest.
School officials say early Wednesday morning more than 30 student protesters staged demonstrations at the home of at least one Board of Regents member and went to several others’ homes.
The school says the protesters — who “hid their identities by wearing masks” — placed tents on the lawn, along with stuffed animals that were made to appear bloodied, and fake corpses wrapped in sheets with red paint. They also marched, chanted and posted demands on doors.
The fake corpses and stuffed animals appear to represent the people and children that have been killed in the war between Israel and Gaza in recent months.
This comes after weeks of on-campus protests across the country as students have been speaking out against the violence in the Middle East.
Specifically at Michigan, students set up encampments on campus in late April, calling for the school to divest from endowment investments in Israeli corporations over the actions that have killed thousands of Palestinians since fighting broke out last fall in the wake of a Hamas attack.
Acker on Wednesday said a masked intruder came to his family’s door “with a list of demands, including defunding the police.”
“This form of protest is not peaceful. Public officials should not be subject to this sort of intimidating conduct, and this behavior is unacceptable from any Michigan community member, especially one led by someone who called for the death of people they disagree with,” Acker said on X, formerly Twitter.
Acker noted his three daughters were asleep in their beds at the time the protesters visited the home and “thankfully unaware of what transpired.”
Acker shared a photo of one protester wearing a scarf over their head and holding their phone up in front of his house.
“I will not be intimidated. In the wake of the 2020 election, public officials here in Michigan were subjected to threats from mobs of election deniers who engaged in similar conduct,” Acker said. “No group, on the right or left, should engage in this behavior, and it cannot be tolerated in any free society.”
Chair Sarah Hubbard says some 30 protesters also showed up at her home Wednesday morning.
School officials said the following student groups, who have been taking part in the organized encampment on campus, “claimed responsibility” for Wednesday’s incident on social media:
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at the University of Michigan, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) and Transparency, Accountability, Humanity, Reparations, Investment, Resistance (TAHRIR) Coalition.
Officials said additional social media posts followed on those same accounts restating demands directed at the U-M Regents.
The protesters began to disperse once law enforcement arrived on the scene.
“The tactics used today represent a significant and dangerous escalation in the protests that have been occurring on campus. Going to an individual’s private residence is intimidating behavior and, in this instance, illegal trespassing. This kind of conduct is not protected speech; it’s dangerous and unacceptable,” school officials said in a press release.
WWJ's Charlie Langton reported Thursday morning the topic of protests may be brought up at Thursday afternoon's Board of Regents meeting. Hubbard said after looking into the school's endowment, officials have found there is not much invested in Israel.
"Upon review of our endowment, we found very, very, very small -- like less than .01% or something -- that we can even identify that might be invested in Israeli companies," Hubbard said.
Hubbard went on to say she believes in the right to protest, but not to be disruptive. And going to their homes disrupts the neighborhood, Langton reported
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