Detroit Evening Report: Faith leaders protest ‘police brutality’ against pro-Palestinian students on WSU campus

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Wayne State University police broke up the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Wayne State University police broke up the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

More than two dozen faith leaders gathered at Wayne State University on Monday to pray and to protest what they call “police brutality” against students who were part of a pro-Palestinian encampment in May 

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Student and President of the Muslim Coalition, Ali Hassan, says the university has not lived up to its principles of freedom of speech.  

“The only thing they want is to intimidate Muslims. They want to intimidate pro-Palestinians, they want to intimidate each and every single person who speaks up for justice,” Hassan said.

Faith leaders also sent a letter to Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Provost Laurie Clabo, and the Board of Governors, to express disappointment with the recent conduct of university leadership. 

The letter also asks officials to meet with members of Students for Justice in Palestine and to refrain from using militarized force against students in the future.  

Reporting by WDET’s Amanda LeClaire.

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Authors

  • Nargis Hakim Rahman is the Civic Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Rahman graduated from Wayne State University, where she was a part of the Journalism Institute of Media Diversity.
  • Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning host and producer of CultureShift on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. She’s a founding producer of WDET’s flagship news talk show Detroit Today, and a former host/reporter for Arizona Public Media. Amanda is also an artist, certified intuitive and energy healer, and professional tarot reader.