The University of Michigan has suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter—known on campus as Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE)—for up to two years, following a string of anti-Israel demonstrations that Jewish community members say have intensified antisemitic hostility, reports The Jerusalem Post.
SAFE condemned the decision, declaring in an Instagram post:
“This is a clear continuation of admin’s politically motivated attempts to erase the fight for Palestinian liberation from our campus – but the movement is larger than an organization or an individual, and the call for divestment will only grow louder under attack. Our demand is unchanged and we continue undeterred. Until liberation and return.”
A key factor in the university’s ruling was a May protest at the home of Regent Sarah Hubbard, where around thirty masked demonstrators used bullhorns, set up tents, and left fake corpses covered in bloodied sheets on her lawn. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones deemed these actions “threatening,” overturning a student judiciary decision that had previously absolved SAFE of responsibility. The university also cited an August “die-in,” which disrupted pedestrian traffic and led to multiple arrests.
Jewish students and organisations on campus say these protests have amplified fears about antisemitism, particularly after the recent Israel-Hamas conflict heightened tensions worldwide. According to concerned students, SAFE’s tactics cross from political protest into intimidation, creating a hostile environment for Jewish peers. Meanwhile, SAFE and allied groups—such as the TAHRIR Coalition and Jewish Voice for Peace UMich—are holding meetings to fight what they view as “repression of pro-Palestine speech and activism.” The situation highlights ongoing disputes about the boundaries between free speech, legitimate protest, and hate-driven intimidation on American college campuses.
Photo credit: REBECCA COOK/REUTERS
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