4 people arrested during pro-Palestinian “die-in” demonstration at Festifall

Amid the hustle and bustle of students scouring their campus organizations during Festifall on Wednesday afternoon, the TAHRIR coalition, a coalition of more than 90 pro-Palestinian organizations, held a “die-in” demonstration on the Diag, attended by about 45 protesters. Many of the protesters sat on the brick floor, holding signs with pictures of Palestinians killed by the Israeli military, alongside Palestinian flags and blood-red dyed fabrics. The protest began shortly after 2:30 p.m. and lasted nearly two hours before police broke up the protest and arrested four people.

University spokeswoman Colleen Mastony confirmed the four arrests in an email to The Michigan Daily, writing that those arrested were not UM students. One person is a temporary UM employee and the other three are not affiliated with the university, Mastony said.

The UM's Department of Public Safety and Order did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Assmaa Eidy, a junior in public policy and TAHRIR member who helped organize the protest, spoke about the context behind the images held up by the protesters in an interview with The Daily. Eidy said the images depicted Palestinians killed by Israel since the country's founding, not just during the military campaign in Gaza last year.

“We have collected these images over the years, not necessarily recently, because it is really important to shed light on the fact that the genocide in Gaza and the general occupation of Palestine has been going on for over 75 years,” Eidy said.

The protest was TAHRIR's first in the fall 2024 semester, according to Eidy. Eidy said the decision to hold the die-in during the festival was aimed at raising awareness about the destruction of educational institutions in Gaza.

“There are no universities or schools left in Gaza,” Eidy said. “They are all in ruins because the US supports Israel financially and militarily and our own university is complicit. They invested $6 billion in their genocide and that is why we do not agree to just go back to school normally.”

Shortly after the protesters arrived at the Diag, they were asked by event organizers and attendees to leave because they were disrupting a UM event and blocking pedestrian paths, Mastony said. Mastony wrote that the warnings were consistent with UM's policy on campus demonstrations.

“The University has made it clear that it will enforce its policies regarding protests and expressive activities and that it will hold individuals accountable for their actions to ensure safe and comprehensive enforcement for all,” Mastony wrote. “Today, a group of approximately 50 people attempted to disrupt a University event and were asked to disperse. For over an hour, they received multiple warnings making it clear that they were blocking pedestrian traffic and violating University policies.”

According to the DPSS website, university policy prohibits protests that disrupt classes or involve unlawful behavior such as violence and property damage. In March, the university released a draft of the disruptive acts policy to provide feedback to the UM community. The new policy, which has not yet been adopted by the university, came in the wake of a pro-Palestinian protest at the 101st Honors Convocation that ultimately led to the ceremony being canceled.

Eidy said she felt the call to vacate the Diag was an attempt to suppress free speech on campus.

“The university is continuing its attempts to oppress, demonize and criminalize us and to restrict our freedom to protest by any means possible. In essence, this also restricts our right to protest against the genocide in which it is complicit,” said Eidy.

On the sidelines of the die-in, protesters held up a maroon banner with the words “Fund our education, not the occupation” in white letters. On the sidelines of the die-in near Ingalls Mall, counter-protesters held up a U.S. flag and two Israeli flags.

Evan Cohen, a senior at LSA and president of Wolverines for Israel, manned the organization's booth at Festifall. In an interview with The Daily, Cohen stressed the importance of obtaining the necessary permits for campus events and emphasized that while the organization was not involved in counterprotests on Wednesday, Wolverines for Israel wants to work to ensure that Jewish students feel welcome and supported at the university.

“To reserve the Diag, you have to fill out different applications to get approved, and then you get approval to be able to do something,” Cohen said. “So the university has rules, and if those rules are violated, there are also procedures for those who violate those rules.”

In an interview with The Daily, Mary Redmond, who has participated in TAHRIR protests before, said she decided to watch the die-in after passing by it on her way home from class. In an interview before the police operation, Redmond described the protest as peaceful.

“I've seen everyone handing out masks and water to the participants and making sure everyone is hydrated and safe and everything,” Redmond said. “So far, it seems to be a pretty good, healthy experience.”

At around 3:40 p.m., DPSS officers approached the protesters with a megaphone and told them they were blocking the Diag. The protesters chanted “Disclose, Divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” got up from the ground and began marching in a circle around the center of the Diag.

A physical altercation then broke out between the police and some demonstrators. One of the demonstrators was arrested.

Protesters gathered around a group of about eight police officers on the Diag, chanting “Let them go.” Police advanced toward Mason Hall, with some protesters waving their arms out of the way. Police then confiscated the small hand signs bearing pictures of those killed in the conflict.

Nadia Youmans, a mother of UM graduates and retired principal of Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, was one of the protesters who gathered around the officers and chanted slogans. Youmans said she felt she was being treated with a double standard by police compared to the pro-Israel protesters nearby. According to Youmans, police said holding the sign was against the law. The Daily could not independently confirm this claim.

“It's a sign,” Youmans said. “It's not a weapon. I feel violated. This is mine. Why take it? Why not the (counter-protesters)? I see them carrying the flag of Israel, and we can't carry a sign for a dead child who was killed with our tax money that we send to Israel.”

After the arrests, about 30 protesters marched between the banquet tables along the sidewalks surrounding the Diag, chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The protesters dispersed shortly after 4 p.m.

Daily news editor Abigail Vandermolen and daily reporter Emma Spring can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].

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