Michigan Activists Face New Charges

Federal prosecutors charged four additional individuals on Friday with participating in a criminal scheme to pressure the University of Michigan. The indictment alleges the group used intimidation tactics to compel the school to sever financial links with Israel.

The legal action follows an earlier charge against eight pro-Palestinian activists in June. Those original defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy. The new indictment details a series of incidents spanning several years that targeted university officials, local businesses, and the Jewish Federation of Detroit.

Investigators identified specific acts of disruption, including the placement of fake bloody corpses in the yard of a university board member. They also cited the 2024 spray-painting of anti-Israel messages at the residence of Santa Ono, who served as school president at the time.

Two of the four new defendants were taken into custody and are scheduled to appear in court on Friday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit stated that the other two individuals remain at large.

U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. framed the prosecution as a defense against those who terrorize Jewish Americans. Since the Israel-Hamas war began, protesters have demanded the university stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. The administration counters that less than 0.1% of its total endowment is held in funds that might include Israeli firms.

The conflict on campus has persisted for months. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment in 2024 after it stood for a month, citing a threat to public safety.