Eight people connected to the University of Michigan are facing federal charges after allegedly running a targeted intimidation campaign against university officials, local businesses, and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
According to the Department of Justice, the group publicly demanded the university divest from Israel and businesses supporting Israel following the October 7, 2023, attacks. When the university didn’t meet their demands, prosecutors say the group turned to coordinated “autonomous actions” to terrorize their targets.
The federal indictment details a disturbing escalation. The defendants allegedly researched the personal addresses, business ties, and families of their targets online. Under the cover of night, masked members of the group reportedly vandalized homes and businesses, caulked doors shut, locked entryways with bike locks, broke windows, and threw glass jars filled with dye and noxious butyric acid inside…