Eight people who federal prosecutors said had ties to the University of Michigan were accused in an indictment unsealed on Wednesday of threatening campus leaders and others to sever ties with Israel.
The indictment in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan accused the pro-Palestinian activists of crossing the line from campus protest to a series of illegal acts that included threats and vandalism. The eight defendants faced varying charges, but the indictment included federal counts of conspiracy to transmit threats, witness intimidation and destruction of property to prevent seizure.
“Their criminal activity included spray-painting threats, breaking windows and throwing glass jars filled with noxious chemicals into family homes,” the indictment said. “They marked their victims with threatening symbols used by Hamas, including red inverted triangles and red handprints. They used the internet and social media to broadcast their message to ensure their threats and commitment to continuing criminal activity were heard by their victims and others who support Israel.”
The Trump administration has taken a hard line against pro-Palestinian protesters, whose activism after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza led to tumult on university campuses across the country.
A spokeswoman for the University of Michigan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Court records did not make clear whether the defendants, whose connections to the university were not immediately clear, had hired lawyers.
The post Pro-Palestinian Activists at U. of Michigan Face Conspiracy Charges appeared first on New York Times.
