Pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampment on Wayne State University’s campus
Protesters plan to stay until they are either removed by campus police or their demands are met.
Pro-Palestinian protesters march in front of Wayne State University's Welcome Center along Warren Avenue in Detroit on May 23, 2024.
The first pro-Palestinian encampment has begun on Wayne State University’s campus in Detroit.
A group of about 200 protestors gathered in front of Wayne State’s Welcome Center on Thursday to call on the Board of Governors to divest from Israel, weapons manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and ending university law enforcement training programs with Israel.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate in front of the Wayne State welcome center following an incident during a recent WSU Board of Governors meeting where students were kicked out after calling for the university to divest from Israel.
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They’re also frustrated by the way student protestors were removed from a WSU Board of Governors meeting on April 26.
The protesters marched down Warren Avenue onto Gullen Mall and back to the center of campus. Several people set up an encampment just after 7 p.m. between State Hall and the David Adamany Undergraduate Library — while several police officers overlooked the crowd.
Miriam Hamad, a Palestinian American who is a Wayne State alumna, says seeing the recent efforts at her alma mater gives her hope.
“We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to stop protesting. We’re not going to stop trying to get what we need for our people,” Hamad said.
Wayne State University President Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy acknowledged the protest in an email sent to staff Thursday night.
“Earlier this evening, a small encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors was set up on our campus. It is an evolving situation, with public safety on-site to ensure that it is peaceful, safe and non-disruptive to our campus operations,” Espy wrote.
The encampment and protest were organized by the group Students for Justice in Palestine. Protesters plan to stay until they are either removed by campus police or their demands are met.
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