No charges will be filed against 5 protesters arrested at Wayne State University camp

Five protesters arrested by police during the dispersal of a camp at Wayne State University will not face charges after an investigation did not find enough evidence to prosecute.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the investigation included reviewing police reports and body-worn camera footage.

The camp, organized by Students for Justice on Palestine, was a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians and against Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The arrests occurred in two separate incidents.

The first incident occurred on May 30, 2024, at around 6:30 a.m., when a 22-year-old student was caught using a megaphone and arrested for trespassing. Her mother and another student who tried to intervene were also arrested for trespassing.

The investigation found that the charges were unjustified because the protesters were on a publicly accessible campus walkway. Worthy concluded that the women were exercising their First Amendment rights.

The second incident occurred later that morning when a 20-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly obstructing a police officer. However, after reviewing the video footage, Worthy found there was no evidence of physical contact between the woman and the officer she allegedly struck.

A 24-year-old man who attempted to intervene during the arrest was also arrested for resisting arrest, but body camera footage showed the protester merely stiffening his arms during the arrest.

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), believes those wrongfully arrested should consider legal action.

“I think the individuals arrested should seek legal advice and possibly file a lawsuit against the Wayne State Police Department if legal counsel deems that an appropriate step,” Walid said.

Walid particularly highlighted the case of Wayne State student Nazmia Abdrabah, who had her hijab removed during her arrest.

“This was a violation of their religious rights,” Walid added.

The news comes as a relief to pro-Palestinian protesters who have also been pushing to drop charges against 11 protesters who were at the University of Michigan encampment on the Diag. Those protesters were charged by Attorney General Dana Nessel's office on September 12.

“Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel intervened in the case in the name of a broader public interest. We believe her intervention was highly politicized. It is highly unusual for such minor charges or potential violations to reach the level of the Michigan Attorney General,” Walid said.

The Wayne County District Attorney's handling of the May 2024 protests has drawn comparisons to the situation at the University of Michigan.

Walid compared the encampment to a riot that took place on the University of Michigan campus after the football team won the national championship. Despite the cases of arson and property damage, no charges were filed.

“I guess if all the students at the University of Michigan can stage a small uprising when the football team wins the national championship, but people protest against genocide, then they will be prosecuted by the state's attorney general,” Walid said.

In addition, those who received a ticket during the protests at Wayne State University had their tickets canceled. Pro-Palestinian protesters hope that similar results will be seen for students at the University of Michigan in the coming weeks.