Federal prosecutors indicted 12 defendants on October 21 for a coordinated campaign of threats against University of Michigan officials and Jewish businesses. The group sought to compel the university and associated entities to cut all connections they viewed as links to the State of Israel in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Reason Magazine reported the details of the long First Superseding Indictment filed in the Eastern District of Michigan.
The defendants used encrypted messages and social media to research and target their victims. Family homes were targeted with thrown glass jars containing noxious chemicals, broken windows, and spray-painted threats as part of their criminal activities. They marked victims with symbols used by Hamas, such as red inverted triangles and red handprints. According to Reason Magazine, police documented twenty-six criminal incidents directly related to the encampment.
The group posted pictures of their destruction online with warnings that “we only come back stronger.” They also told their opposition that “we look to our martyrs and freedom fighters for guidance … the student intifada will never be silenced.” The indictment states the defendants wanted to achieve the acclaim of the 1960s domestic terrorist organization “Weather Underground.”
Specific Plans Against Leaders
The plan called for “targeting the Board of Regents” and included notes on how to make house visits more threatening. The defendants created meeting agendas that called for more deep-diving on all of regents.”
A list of demands was publicly posted on social media by the group on October 20, 2023. They required the university to make a “full and complete divestment” from the State of Israel. Unsatisfied with the response, they prepared to take what they called “autonomous actions” against the leadership. These actions included forcibly entering and occupying university buildings.
Separate Case Involving Harara
A related case involves Abdulrahim Harara, who owns the Jerusalem Coffee House. Per Reason Magazine, a judge found that Harara violated at least six discovery orders in a civil case. The judge noted that Harara “flouted at least six discovery orders” and engaged in deceptive obstruction.
The civil case stems from an incident on June 10, 2024, when Michael Radice visited the coffee shop. Radice, who is Jewish, was asked if he was a “Zionist” after answering yes to being Jewish. The complaint alleges a man shouted that Radice was “guilty of ‘killing children.'” Later, on August 3, 2024, Radice returned to buy a cookie as a sign of goodwill.
An employee told Radice, “You’re the guy with the hat. You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop. Get out.” The judge is now deciding what remedy to impose for Harara’s serial violations. The court must address documents produced late, incomplete document productions, and a wholesale failure to produce records.
The indictment against the 12 defendants includes charges for conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce. Two defendants face additional charges for witness intimidation and destruction of property. The case remains active in the Eastern District of Michigan as prosecutors move forward with these specific allegations.
