Dozens rally to demand AG Nessel drop charges against pro-Palestinian protesters

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Last week, Attorney General Dana Nessel charged 11 pro-Palestinian protesters involved in the University of Michigan encampment on Diag. On Friday, dozens demonstrated outside the 15th District Court in Ann Arbor, asking Nessel to drop the charges.

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Two people face misdemeanor charges, seven face felony charges of obstructing a police officer, one faces felony charges of disturbing the peace and attempted ethnic discrimination, and one faces two counts of misdemeanor malicious destruction of property personal.

All charges stem from the Diag camp that lasted 30 days last spring to protest the Israel-Hamas war.

Previous coverage: Michigan’s pro-Palestinian camp remains despite calls from university to leave

Michigan’s pro-Palestinian camp remains despite calls from the university to leave

Twenty-four-year-old former University of Michigan student Josiah Walker faces a felony charge of trespassing and was arraigned just hours before the rally began.

“First of all, I think they’re politically motivated and that, you know, justice is not the real motivation behind them,” he said of the charges.

Salma Hamamy graduated from Michigan last spring. She has family in the Gaza region who were killed in the conflict and felt compelled to run the camp last spring. She also faces a felony charge. She has been at the camp every day and was there when university police broke it up last May.

The group is pushing to drop charges against Palestinian UM protesters

“Not only are they trying to stop us from protesting, but they are also trying to punish us for protesting with these charges. It’s an unprecedented suppression rate, especially since these charges are coming from the Michigan Attorney General,” Hamamy said.

Nessel said in a press release that the protesters had multiple warnings and chances to leave, but did not comply.

Violence erupted once campus police arrived to disperse the encampment it’s what also led Nessel to charge seven people with crimes.

“I think the police are the ones who brought the violence to our camp that day. They used a lot of aggression and excessive force against us,” said Sammie Lewis, who was at the camp.

Watch our previous coverage of when police broke up the Michigan campus camp below:

Police raid pro-Palestinian camp at University of Michigan Diag; 4 arrested

I contacted the attorney general’s office, who said charges in this case, like all others, are determined by reviewing admissible evidence and applying the law on the matter. I also reached out to the University of Michigan but have not heard back as of Friday.

Those who were charged are expected back in court next month for hearings, probable cause conferences and possibly sentencing.