Police Dismantle Anti-Israel Encampment at Wayne State University, Arresting Eight Protesters

On Thursday morning, police dismantled an anti-Israel encampment at Wayne State University in Detroit. The incident led to the arrests of at least eight protesters, resulting in clashes with authorities on campus.

Out of the eight protesters arrested, six were detained for trespassing, one for resisting and obstructing, and one for assault and battery on a police officer. This was confirmed by Matt Lockwood, the university's associate vice president of communications. Videos captured by news crews showed some protesters clashing with police dressed in riot gear on campus.

Cleanup crews were observed removing dozens of tents and disposing of bags filled with trash that had accumulated at the encampment site.

Official Statement

Wayne State University President, Kimberly Andrews Espy, released a statement expressing that the encampment presented legal, health, safety, and operational challenges for the community. She added that it created an environment of exclusion, making some members of the campus feel unwelcome and unable to participate fully in campus life.

The encampment was set up by protesters on campus to demand the university’s divestment from Israel. Despite university leaders’ repeated attempts to request the removal of the encampment, the protesters declined to do so.

Classes Held Remotely

Rising tensions with the encampment forced the university to announce that all classes would be conducted remotely until further notice, due to the encampment being termed as "an ongoing public safety issue."

Other universities across the country have also removed similar encampments following the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Last week, an anti-Israel encampment at the University of Michigan was cleared by the police due to posing a fire risk.