(CBS DETROIT) – Monday marked one year since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and emotions were high among people remembering that day.
Students from the University of Michigan gathered for both a memorial and a vigil in memory of the victims of the October 7 attacks. But just a few hundred yards away, hundreds of other students were gathered for a different purpose and with a different perspective on the Middle East.
It was a day that hit close to home for U of M’s Jewish students, who created a memorial on the Diag to commemorate the victims, both dead and kidnapped.
“It’s a very emotional day, but it’s nice to see all the students who contributed to this and really get a lot out of this experience and remember those who were murdered on October 7,” said Jack Landstein, a Jewish U of M student . .
Josh Brown, another Jewish U of M student, said, “Other groups on this campus called October 7 a milestone; I think it’s important to know that there are other people on campus who support Jewish students.”
Jewish students stayed out in the Diag all day on Monday and eventually held a community vigil later in the evening.
On the other side of the lawn, a group of students organized a walkout on campus Monday at 3:30 p.m., calling their action “One year of genocide, one year of resistance.”
“After 75 years of struggle against the Zionist occupation, October 7 is considered a milestone for Palestine,” said a leader of the group.
After a few students spoke, the pro-Palestinian group marched through campus. It was mostly peaceful until some tension arose between the group and police when the students attempted to walk through the Diag where the other group was holding their memorial.
One student told CBS News Detroit that he was pepper-sprayed after merely protesting peacefully.
“During our peaceful protest, the police decided to lock us up, they decided to arrest some of our members and they decided to use excessive force, including but not limited to pepper spray, body slamming, etc.,” said Mohammad Sheikh-Khalil.
The University Campus Police released the following statement:
“One person was arrested, which led to a large group of protesters surrounding police officers and their accompanying patrol car, impeding the movement. This is an active investigation with details continuing to be confirmed, but it is important to note that in some circumstances officers may take crowd control measures if deemed necessary to control the situation, make arrests or to guarantee the safety of the persons involved. The arrested person has since been released and the incident will be submitted to the prosecutor’s office for review.”
Monday’s events are yet another example of how many emotions are still being felt after October 7 and the events since, and neither side plans to stop advocating and grieving anytime soon.
