ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Federal charges have been handed down against several pro-Palestinian activists accused of threatening and harassing University of Michigan officials and other prominent Jewish community leaders over the university's connections to Israel.
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The federal indictment was unsealed today following a series of FBI raids.
Those raids came the same day the targets of the federal investigation were detained and taken to federal court in downtown Detroit. An attorney familiar with the case says the arrests came as a complete surprise to some of those involved.
Video shows the FBI conducting law enforcement operations on and around Summit Street in Ypsilanti. The FBI's Detroit Field Office confirmed agents were executing search warrants and making arrests there and in other locations, including parts of Wayne County.
Law enforcement sources say the actions are directly related to a federal indictment against eight people connected to the University of Michigan, most of them current or former students. Prosecutors allege the group conspired to threaten university officials while pressuring the university to divest from Israel.
The indictment also alleges the group threatened law enforcement and the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit and includes multiple counts related to vandalism and property destruction.
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FOX 2 spoke with an attorney helping coordinate the defense for those indicted, as well as the leader of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor.
"They were detained and brought into federal court, where they learned for the first time that there was an indictment against them for what we believe are a series of trumped-up charges," said attorney Liz Jacob. "For many of them, that was the first indication they were under any kind of investigation. There is a lot of confusion, fear and stress, not only for these individuals but also for their families."
"Just the cruelty and nastiness of the alleged intimidation and harassment—I think it's the end of civility," said Rabbi Asher Lopatin. "I think the justification they have is that they've demonized Israel and Zionism so much that it's like they're dealing with the devil, and therefore anything is acceptable. You can be as nasty, cruel and horrific as you want. That's a problem in our society."
The allegations outlined in the indictment stem from a series of pro-Palestinian protests that took place on the University of Michigan campus beginning in 2023.
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