ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's been one year since Oct. 7, 2023, a day marked by pain and sadness for many across metro Detroit.
In the 12 months since, tensions have been high on college campuses like the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. At the Diag Monday, many Jewish student groups held a prayer vigil, honoring the hostages and remembering the hundreds of civilians killed in Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel.
Watch our previous coverage when police broke up an encampment on Michigan's campus below:
Nearby, pro-Palestinian student groups took to the streets protesting over the thousands of deaths from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and now Lebanon. Campus police kept tight security near the Diag, and one Palestinian protester marching was arrested.
Police say protesters then surrounded the patrol car, which led to a clash with officers who used pepper spray. That person detained was soon released, and an investigation is underway.
All of this comes just hours after police in West Bloomfield responded to vandalism overnight at a home a university spokesperson confirmed belongs to Michigan President Santa Ono. The driveway, walkway and brick of the home had spray painted messages like "coward," "divest now," "complicit" and "intifada."
“To whoever is doing this out there, you are not helping anyone. All you are doing is simply making Jews feel unsafe,” University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker said.
Acker's business in Southfield was also vandalized back in June. Protesters have been calling for months on the regents to divest from Israel, in some cases showing up at their homes.
“We're elected officials — we understand it is the job of elected officials to hear grievances from our constituents," Acker said. "But this is not that. This is targeted harassment and it’s criminal.”
Around the same time, the Jewish Federation of Detroit was also vandalized in Bloomfield Township. The FBI confirms they were in West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Township Monday as local police investigate.
Hear more about the vandalism in Bloomfield Township in the video player below:
“This is not like sending a letter or showing up at a board meeting. This is done to harass elected officials, to harass the president, to harass the Jewish community,” Acker said. “It's disgusting."
