DETROIT (WXYZ) — Thursday night, pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment at Wayne State University, demanding the university divest from Israel.
Protester Zaynah Jadallah told our team the encampment comes after one at the University of Michigan was raided; "So we are all in this together, the Student Movement for Divestment is all in this together. So they were raided and they were removed from campus so we are here continuing their efforts."
Jadallah told us she graduated from Wayne State University this past December.
She said she is helping in this protest as, "our main goal is to have the Board of Governors and President Espy willing to have an open discussion or meeting about divestment."
The call for an open meeting has been a point of contention between Wayne State pro-Palestinian protesters and the University's Board of Governors for over a month.
On April 26 footage was released showing pro-Palestinian activists interrupting a Wayne State University Board of Governors meeting to protest the board's lack of response to their call for divestment.
Protesters were physically removed from the meeting by University police.
"We have tried with the University to have open dialogues, to have discussion, we even tried to have the divestment resolution put on the agenda of the Board of Governors, but it was met with decline," said Jadallah.
Our team also spoke to Kevin Rashid who is an Academic Services Officer at Wayne State University.
Rashid told us that seeing the encampment; "I feel pride, I think they’re doing the right thing. I think this is really a beautiful democratic action. I hope that public safety and the university don’t do something unwise in terms of going after these young people"
Rashid is one of the Wayne State University staff members who has been outspoken about his support of the protesters.
We reached out to Wayne State University to hear their response to the encampment Friday morning. They sent us the following statement:
Let me begin by recognizing how deeply painful the world events of the last eight months have been for so many in our Wayne State community. So many have experienced deep personal loss. The impact of global conflict is very present in our daily lives and on our campus, which has been the site of protests expressing a range of viewpoints. Most recently, a group of more than 150 marched peacefully on the evening of May 23.
Soon after the conclusion of the march, a smaller group established an encampment on the lawn of State Hall. Approximately 10 tents were pitched, and large supplies of food and water were unloaded. Occupants removed and relocated fencing, traffic safety equipment, and other materials from construction sites and roadways, creating multiple public safety hazards. 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.
Let me reiterate that Wayne State is a university of inclusion that supports free speech and the right to protest. We will always be a university that welcomes free expression of views that enable learning new perspectives through engaging, challenging conversations.
At the same time, we must distinguish free speech from actions that violate laws, threaten health and safety, or disrupt campus operations.
In response to the encampment, university leadership has been meeting regularly. We’ve heard from and consulted with leaders from across the city and region. We brought on additional security support for our campus. We paused construction at DeRoy Auditorium until the site is safe for everyone.
In keeping our commitment to productive dialogue, we believe it’s important to connect directly with occupants of the encampment. Today, 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. Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of everyone on our campus, including the occupants of the encampment.
As the President of Wayne State, it is my responsibility to consult broadly and work with experts to chart the best course for our university community.
Wayne State is defined by our environment of inquiry, where we recognize that solutions to difficult problems are not simple, straightforward, or immediate. We all have unique perspectives on current events, and we all know others who hold different beliefs. No matter our disagreements, we share our commitment to this university.
I trust that we all will continue to respect each other. My hope is that we continue to advocate, engage, and learn from one another to keep Wayne State the exceptional university it is.
"Wayne State has a portfolio called 'SP500' that invests in war manufacturing companies that aid Israeli occupation in genociding the people in Gaza," said Jadallah. "So we are here to demand that this portfolio be divested from and invested in more ethical portfolios."
