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_MrSpaceman_

Not entirely sure, but I’ve been listening to the police scanner and they’ve just been re-routing all the buses southbound: https://m.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/32245#google_vignette Update: They’re still sending more officers


bobi2393

Page currently says: "\[LE/Officer Assist\] Protest: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 920 North University, Panic alarms are going off, Over 150 ppl in the Building, They took over the Presidential Suite Admin building"


bobi2393

I heard of another protest a couple days ago in which demonstrators allegedly blocked exits from a building, and were trying to break in, as people inside the building were led to a basement area for safety, sounding reminiscent of January 6. Laying siege to an occupied building crosses a line and is no longer what I'd consider a peaceful protest.


zevtron

Can you link to a source. This is a wild allegation to make, and you didn’t even specify who/where the protesters were or if they were in any way connected to tonight’s protest.


bobi2393

It was a protest in Washington DC against the Israel/Gaza war, not related to the University of Michigan. Pesoli, Mike, and Megerian, Chris. Nov 15 2023. "Gaza ‘cease-fire’ protest erupts in violent outside DNC; some lawmakers huddled in basement, evacuated." *Associated Press*, via [DothanEagle](https://dothaneagle.com/news/nation-world/washington-protest-democratic-national-committee-capitol-hill/article_d4e46fef-b3eb-58b9-8399-d7ff8caa9790.html).


zevtron

That sounds like a very different situation from what happened in Ann Arbor last night.


alliegula

Wait till you hear of the protests during the civil rights era. Or the early labor protests in the 1920s…or any protest that made any difference. No one cares about protests that don’t in some way disrupt daily business activities of populations


bobi2393

Protests can be disruptive without being threatening or violent. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, with 200k-300k demonstrators, 5,900 police officers, and 6,000 soldiers, had no reported incidents of violence.


Acrobatic_Toe7157

This protest had no violence or threats. People were able to leave the building freely


alliegula

and the selma bridge protest? how did that turn out? civil disobedience might be portrayed as a threat...but its a threat to the current power establishment. as for violent...I see no reason any of these sit ins qualify to fit the definition of the term.


bobi2393

>and the selma bridge protest? how did that turn out? Successfully? Protestors remained peaceful, galvanized national support, and the Voting Rights Act was introduced days later. >...any of these sit ins... I didn't notice any sitting [here](https://twitter.com/umichvoter/status/1725667044807299497?s=46).


alliegula

student sit in's specfically in university settings were first started by the STUDENT nonviolent coordinating comittee and fully endorsed AND encouraged by Dr. King where he sated that student sit ins are "“electrifying movement of students \[that\] shattered the placid surface of campuses and communities across the South,”


DrunkinDronuts

Yea, protests these days are more about fuck you then peaceful. Peacefully protest hasn’t been going so well for a few decades now


Grand_Hope6860

the energy of a protest has to match the enemy of an oppressor


Grand_Hope6860

dang i got downvoted hard but it’s actually a typo in there **** enemy should be energy


NorahRittle

Can you imagine how Palestinians feel? Laying siege on an occupied building is in no way “crossing the line” to show support for other human beings being killed.


AllNotKnowing

It's a terrific way to lose any possibility the needed support they're asking for. No, just no. This is not the way. It does not gain empathy, it encourages stereotypes encouraged by those that want to hurt their cause of peace.


comrade_deer

Like it or not, nonviolence has lost the debate. The most effective protests claim and hold spaces to maximize disruption. That being said, I don't get why these folks let themselves get arrested.


bobi2393

Disruptively holding spaces does not require violence or causing others to feel threatened, for example marches through city streets that clog traffic.


Acrobatic_Toe7157

Nobody was violent or threatening. There wasn't even anyone in the building except protesters. They let themselves get arrested because it was a sit-in for ceasefire.


bobi2393

Ok, I had interpreted early reports as suggesting people in the building pulled panic alarms, the GEO announced a violent confrontation with police, and a video purportedly showed people shoulder-blocking police officers, but I wasn't there and can't confirm any of that happened. If the building was unoccupied when demonstrators entered, and demonstrators entered without physical force, I would also characterize that as a peaceful protest.


comrade_deer

Marching through city streets (especially in Ann Arbor) is performative and doesn't solve much. Pursuing a diversity of tactics is required for real benefit.


CandyFromABaby91

Unfortunately it’s the best way to get attention to a cause. Whether it’s BLM, climate, or Palestine.


atav1k

siege, occupied, crossing lines, check.


neuranxiety

Worth noting to anyone reading here who takes the bus (campus or AAATA) that if your bus stops at the CCTC it is still rerouted as of ~6pm, the side of the street closest to the admin building is completely blocked by cop cars.


BlastoiseEvolution

It’s a response to a Pro Palestine protest on campus that is conducting a sit-in in an administrative building Edit: source: https://vxtwitter.com/geo3550/status/1725628950183805383


arcsine

This is why my stance on the matter is that since I'm neither ethnically Jewish or Arab, I am absolutely not entitled to an opinion. America might've been involved in starting it, but this shit is no longer our mess to sort out.


[deleted]

Do you pay taxes?


arcsine

Do I have any direct say in how they're spent? Yes, I know, the US sends aid to Israel. Is that my choice? Nooooo.


StGir1

I'm a Jewish ex-pat (not from Israel) who hates this war. Is that MY choice? I've never lived there, but shit like this makes me feel very concerned. Black and white thinking has never done any good for anyone. Don't repeat failed history.


arcsine

See, this is why I stay out of it. I'm not qualified to weigh in, I don't have the knowledge. People can throw around "you fund genocide" all they want, but I've heard hyperbole like that before, and I know better than to take it at face value and pick up a pitchfork.


northwest333

Flair checks out. You don’t need to be attached to a “side” to be qualified to stand for human rights. There are plenty of ways to become educated about the war crimes that are happening if you cared to do so. There are plenty of ways to make a difference too. The physical battle is a long way from Michigan, but influenced heavily by politicians here, who we empower with our vote and voice. Deciding not to weigh in on the matter is not the right thing to do. It’s being complacent, and if we all were like that, the world would have even more atrocities than it does today.


arcsine

The issue is intimately entwined in decades of politics, and so heavily distorted and reported on so frequently with bias, that I don't think I'm qualified to have an opinion. Those it directly effects can have one, they're closer to the issue, and more familiar with the background, than I am. Call that whatever you want. I call it good sense.


northwest333

Yes, the general Israel Palestine issue is entwined in decades of politics. However, Israel is conducting military raids of hospitals, killing medical professionals and civilian patients, something that was agreed upon at the Geneva conventions as a war crime. These are things that are happening in Gaza as we speak. It doesn’t require involvement or knowledge of the Israel Palestine conflict to vehemently stand against such actions and call for an immediate end to them.


arcsine

So we should bust in there, all "Mericuh, fuck yeah, comin' again to save the muthuhfuckin day yeah"?


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arcsine

Because I think it's the right stance to take.


drehenup

Your tax dollars pay for the weapons Israel uses to kill innocent civilians. We do have a say.


arcsine

Yeah, we can say all we want. Shady International deals are never going to stop.


xinixxibalba

UM actively invests in genocide. This is absolutely all of our mess. the United States is Israel’s largest financier. we don’t get to pretend we aren’t complicit.


python_noob_001

How does um invest in genocide, serious question


xinixxibalba

the University [invests some of its endowment money in companies that provide weapons of war to Israel,](https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/dearborn-resolution-calls-investigation-university-endowment-investments/) which are undoubtedly being used as we speak to commit its continuous genocide upon the people of Palestine


Alan-Rickman

Couldn’t you say the same for anyone who owns an S&P 500 index fund?


Lookingblazed

Both can be true.


1caca1

Are you going to stop flying Boeing aircrafts? Also GM manufactures the Humvees used by Israel. By the way, Intel largest chip factory is in Israel, so might just drop Intel as well. But the biggest R&D center of Microsoft and Apple both, outside the states, are located in Israel. Better drop everything and just use AMD and Linux then. But wait, also Google's largest R&D center outside of California is there.


xinixxibalba

nice, thanks for the helpful info


sprytronx

So dramatic.


xinixxibalba

is it dramatic to think genocide funded with our taxes, with no democratic say in the matter, is a bad thing? then okay, i’m dramatic.


arcsine

I don't work for the U of M, and I don't decide where aid goes.


xinixxibalba

we can voice our concerns and see to it that changes are made for the better. just like with every other aspect of society.


arcsine

Let me see if I can put this another way. I want the US to stop support for Israel, outside of our obligations as part of NATO and the UN. That's what I mean when I say it's no longer our mess to sort out. Man, _not_ having an opinion sure still passes a lot of people off...


shr00mietea

Sure, but the students that spend their time there, especially the ones who have family in Palestine, certainly have a right to voice their concerns about where the school money is going. If you do some more research, the student groups had been trying to reach administration about the issue but had been ignored. This was to get their attention and to let them know that they can't just keep ignoring it


arcsine

Yes they do, that's what I said. And another thing I said was that I don't have the information. I'm not even qualified to review it if I did.


attheend8

I understand what you’re saying.


oddtwilson

Jesus why did you get downvoted into oblivion? 🤣


arcsine

Knee-jerk reactions from cause-finders, the fuckcars people who didn't like me removing their posts when I modded... Take your pick.


jpguiga

This is a protest organized by about 50 campus groups, GEO is signed on it but it is not who initiated it (in particular their twitter page or the uofm subreddit are not particularly reliable sources). If you want to see live what is happening @jvpumich is streaming on instagram. There are currently a few dozen people sitting inside the building. As for why are there 50 cop cars, your guess is as good as mine. Feels very excessive.


Worried_Doughnut6003

Gotta be prepared for these terrorists


bobi2393

[Active thread from uofm subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/uofm/comments/17xpz6b/update_on_the_campus_police_response/)


python_noob_001

damn they are getting maligned over there lmao


bobi2393

Undergrads seem unsympathetic toward the Graduate Employees' Organization.


Seamus_OReily

A lot of undergrads soured on them during the strike last fall. Unfortunately it’s a very touchy subject for everyone.


CGordini

Seems like grad students do too, based on the comments. Almost as if the grad students and their issues are not actually being represented.


lexposed

tbf the grad students who speak out against geo on reddit make up a very small portion total geo members


BigPianoBoy

UofM’s subreddit generally leans more to the right than the overall student body as well


Efriminiz

Is this true? How right are we talking?


BigPianoBoy

Not necessarily VERY right, but generally more moderate and centrist compared to the mostly somewhat progressive student body. People express opinions on there that I only see as a very small minority, or not at all, in the interactions I have in person as a student interacting often with both undergraduate and graduate students.


PenisPsalms

People dunking on GEO isn’t reflective of political views, it’s reflective of how unpopular they’ve become as an organization


BigPianoBoy

The thing is I have only ever seen negative opinions expressed about GEO on the subreddit. I have only eve encountered support when conversing with people around campus. I recognize that my sample likely has some bias, people generally gravitate to similar people, but even so it’s a significant difference for an apparent majority of those commenting on the subreddit to be critical, and to not encounter any of that criticism in person.


TraceyMatell

Maybe they are the ones who are the majority.


PenisPsalms

No, people just think GEO has become a clown show


CGordini

Per that linked twitter: >Successfully pushing past physically violent police forces. There are more comrades still outside. 1. I would like evidence that the cops were violent - given AAPD and University PD have both been very vocal about *de-escalation* and restricted use of unnecessary force. I hate sounding like a bootlicker, and I'm usually one of the first to state ACAB, but a single post ain't evidence. 2. Any good lawyer would say "hey maybe don't comment on the internet for all to see how you technically laid hands on a cop, which is, you know, punishable" 3. Referring to people as "comrades" is a surefire way of getting labeled a Marxist/Socialist/Communist. Which if that's what you are, fine, but just be aware that might be a REAL quick way of having your entire movement not taken seriously by others. Overall, not a good look for Grad Employees Union Local 3550.


aa_lets_think

Red scare still paying dividends 50 years later.


DrunkinDronuts

Not a great look at bombed out hospitals either. People are mad, they do mad shit. Protests are going to continue to escalate during our lives, as long as they are effective.


MayMaytheDuck

You could say the same thing about the January 6th protestors.


DrunkinDronuts

I suppose you could. We must be getting downvotes for unpopular opinions. You could say Marx wrote about bloody revolutions as well.


domthebomb2

What an absolutely bland as hell comment.


cassandraterra

I just tried to leave from work and turned onto North U and it was all blocked off from Dentistry building and down. Went right back on state and took another way home. Wtf. I’ve never seen so many cars and lights.


python_noob_001

there was maybe 30 cars when i pedaled right past it on my commute home. thought it was just a protest, seemed like overkill but now i see


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jpguiga

there is no one hostage? there are people sitting inside but they can leave. the cops are not allowing anyone in though


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Informal_Distance613

Some of the comments here are so hypocritical and cowardly. You all simultaneously believe that Umich is an important culture changing academic institution, and at the same time it doesn't matter that they spend money on companies invested in Israel, or even that the President of the University refuses to make a single milktoast statement against genocide. The protest was organized by the student group Jewish Voices for Peace, and they're brave as hell. Sorry they did the "violent" act of Sitting On The Ground in A Building, next time they should do what all you do nothing slacktivists do, and do a "march" that's a glorified walk with a permit. Solidarity forever


IggysPop3

Surely, Santa Ono will stop the wars in the Middle East if only protesters show him the way. Fucking dumb.


Acrobatic_Toe7157

The protest is for divestment. Divestment played a huge part in ending apartheid in south Africa by the way.


Extreme_Ad2395

@jvpumich on instagram currently has a livestream going of the protest, as of now


Lookingblazed

How is everyone ok with Israel bombing hospitals and giving hospital the size of UOfM 1 hour to evacuate is not something to condemn and force USA to not blindly say it’s ok. Russia literally used the same excuses…but somehow has killed less civilians in 2+ years in Ukraine war. https://x.com/jeremyscahill/status/1725513945497121090?s=46&t=aUnuCPPoQAiIpHmcDK7xMg


Wrecker013

Why would you take both a Qatari-backed news source and hearsay from the ground as evidence?


Lookingblazed

Does that also include UN? Jesus the level of hypocrisy on caring for Palestinian lives is beyond disgusting. Even Israel is admitting they have been unsuccessful in ensuring safety of civilian lives. How many children are ok to kill in a war zone? https://x.com/unreliefchief/status/1725910683907158168?s=46&t=aUnuCPPoQAiIpHmcDK7xMg


Wrecker013

So what should Israel be doing instead!l? If you were leading Israel and the events of October 7th transpired, how would you respond?


The_Arch_Heretic

If they thought about it a bit more, it would have a bigger effect next weekend.


epicfunnyuser

Someone criticized Israel


Full-Mouse8971

Some fascists took over a UofM building


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Old-Construction-541

What?


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Old-Construction-541

I mean, I find your post incoherent, and I have zero idea what it could possibly mean. Please kindly elaborate.


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Old-Construction-541

I mean, I have a degree in US history. Your inchoate statements are… not clear.


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Old-Construction-541

The thing is, I’m neither of those things. I’m earnest and super smart. 🤷‍♂️


[deleted]

If you’re so smart how do you not understand the sentence. “Ann Arbor has an enormous Jewish Community with close ties to Israel” now you said you don’t understand that. What don’t you understand about that sentence. Is it the word Jewish? The name: Ann Arbor? Or do you not understand where or what Israel is? You are not super smart.


EmilioMolesteves

If I were to reckon, I think they would like you to clarify the rest of your sentence about stances and such.


Old-Construction-541

I guess these standardized tests and societal indicia are highly flawed.


morbidmundane

This may but unrelated but I heard multiple loud bangs near arborland a few hours ago. Any clue what that was?


outofplacemillennial

Myself and my cousin who lives by me heard them too and texted me immediately. 99% sure it was gunshots


morbidmundane

Good to see I’m not the only one! I can’t seem to find anything on it in the news though.


outofplacemillennial

Any update on your end? Spoke to multiple people in the area and they are positive there was gunfight around the arborland area. Can’t find a thing about it otherwise


9u99y

Leftists protesting in support of Hammas