Envision the distress of a young Jewish student, compelled to navigate through a crowd of protesters, many of whom are classmates, who express vehement anti-Semitism and call for the destruction of Israel. This is an unfortunate reality for many students at the University of Michigan, a left-leaning institution where over 15% of undergraduates are Jewish. Despite generous donations from Jewish benefactors Stephen M. Ross and Ron Weiser, the university has failed to provide adequate protection for its students during their graduation ceremony.
The university’s lackluster response to disruptive pro-Palestine/Hamas protesters has been deeply troubling. These agitators were seen lifting an MI State Police bike in the air while surrounding officers attempted to maintain order. Unsurprisingly, an Al Jazeera-affiliated Twitter account twisted this incident into propaganda aimed at garnering sympathy for their anti-American and anti-Jewish movement, which is rapidly spreading across college campuses.
As graduating students and their families arrived at the commencement ceremony venue, they were greeted by a plane flying overhead with a banner reading: “We stand with Israel—Jewish Lives Matter.” However, this peaceful display was soon disrupted by pro-Palestine/Hamas protesters who have been instilling fear in Jewish students since the Hamas attack on Israel in October. These masked individuals once again sought to steal attention and ruin this significant day for hardworking graduates.
A guest reported seeing sharp shooters positioned at each corner of the commencement ceremony venue. A high-ranking U of M official confirmed that there would be a significant presence of law enforcement officers, including conspicuous officers like MI State Police.
During the graduation ceremony, pro-Palestine/Hamas protesters gathered in the center of the main floor, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. Students nearby attempted to drown out these disruptive voices by shouting back at them. The situation escalated further when pro-Palestine/Hamas protesters began shouting threats at everyone in the stadium.
As law enforcement removed the pro-Palestine/Hamas supporters from the ceremony, U of M students could be heard chanting patriotic slogans and demanding their removal.
The Gateway Pundit has previously reported on the rising tide of unrest and hatred being stirred up by these leftist anti-Jewish and anti-American protesters. The University of Michigan, once considered a prestigious public institution, has seemingly surrendered control of its campus to this increasingly hostile mob.
A social media surveillance network that exposes antisemitism shared images of disturbing propaganda reportedly being distributed on the University of Michigan campus. Last month, following a blanket death threat to Israel-supporting students and swastika graffiti at the local Hillel chapter, protests disrupted and shut down the spring Honors convocation ceremony. Now, with escalating tensions on campus and threats to cancel the May 4 commencement ceremony at its iconic Big House stadium, UM released its commencement policy:
“The University of Michigan does not attempt to prevent peaceful protests or other speech protected under the First Amendment. Many ceremonies will have a designated area for protests outside the venue.”
Despite this policy announcement, UM’s leadership has not implemented substantive changes to curb disruptive activity. This lack of action is contributing to a climate of fear among Jewish students on campus. To date, two federal complaints have been filed against UM for violating Jewish students’ civil rights under Title VI protections.
Disturbingly, Salma Hamamy, a senior student at U of M who has openly expressed hateful sentiments towards Israel supporters, has not faced any repercussions for her actions. Despite her inflammatory statements, she remains enrolled as a student at U of M and has not been investigated for hate crimes by the FBI or arrested for hate speech.
It’s clear that the University of Michigan, under the guise of respecting free speech, is failing to protect its students from harassment and intimidation. The university must take decisive action to curb this disruptive and hateful behavior on campus.
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