DETROIT (AP) — Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday against eight pro-Palestinian activists who are accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials while trying to force the school to cut financial ties to Israel.
The indictment describes threats and vandalism at officials' homes, some businesses and the Jewish Federation of Detroit.
“In America, we rule by law not by fear. These alleged threats and attempts to terrorize government officials, businesses, and the Jewish Federation are anti-American. We will counter intimidation with justice," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said.
The document highlights several incidents that made headlines in the past few years, including fake bloody corpses that were placed in an elected university board member's yard and the spray-painting of anti-Israel messages at the home of the school's president at the time, Santa Ono.
Two glass jars filled with a blue substance were thrown through a window at the home of the university provost, the government said.
“They marked their victims with threatening symbols used by Hamas, including red inverted triangles and red handprints,” the indictment states. “They used the internet and social media to broadcast their message to ensure their threats and commitment to continuing criminal activity were heard by their victims and others who support Israel.”
All eight are charged with conspiracy to transmit threats through interstate commerce, but some face more charges than others.
Five people made an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit; four of them were ordered to remain in custody at least until another hearing Friday.
About two dozen supporters appeared at the courthouse. Some carried Palestinian flags outside, and one had a sign that read, “Drop The Charges.”
“Everything that happened today is a shock,” said Eaman Ali, an organizer with the TAHRIR Coalition, a group of students and Ann Arbor community members that calls for divestment from Israel. “When one of us is targeted, we want to make sure we show up for them.”
Ali declined to comment about the specific allegations.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began, pro-Palestinian protesters have demanded that the University of Michigan’s endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. But the university has insisted it has no direct investments and less than $15 million placed with funds that might include companies in Israel. That’s less than 0.1% of the total endowment.
In 2024, a pro-Palestinian camp on campus was cleared by police after a month. The university said it was a threat to public safety.
Sarah Hubbard, a member of the university's Board of Regents who found phony corpses on her lawn in 2024, welcomed the indictment, saying she was “very appreciative of the tireless work” of law enforcement.
Another board member, Jordan Acker, said his home, car and law office were vandalized with paint.
FILE - Pro-Palestinian graffiti mars the outside of the Goodman Acker law offices, June 3, 2024, in Southfield, Mich., just north of Detroit. (AP Photo/Corey Williams, File)
People carry Palestinian flags outside the federal courthouse in Detroit on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, after activists appeared in court on conspiracy charges. (AP Photo/Ed White)
NEW YORK (AP) — Throughout the New York Knicks' playoff run, thousands of deliriously happy fans have flooded the streets outside Madison Square Garden, often invoking a two-word rallying cry: “We outside.”
But for a pivotal game four of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, spontaneous outdoor gatherings won’t be allowed in front of the team’s famed arena.
A security plan released by the New York Police Department will bar fans from gathering around the Manhattan arena unless they are going to the game or have “business specific to that area.”
Instead, the city said it would allow 1,000 fans access to a watch party outside the Garden — a scaled-down version of previous viewing parties, which the NYPD had sought to have canceled for rowdiness, before later reversing course.
Otherwise, fans had to prove they had an “authorized reason” to be inside a security perimeter that stretches for several blocks around the arena. While bars and restaurants could stay open, they were subject to “strict capacity limits,” police said.
The measures incensed some long-suffering fans and nearby businesses, along with the Knicks owner, James Dolan — whose game-three invitation to President Donald Trump prompted another frozen zone in the area and prevented an outdoor watch party from going forward.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Madison Square Garden Company accused the mayor of transforming the streets around the arena into a “police state” in order to “freeze out fans from celebrating.”
Because of the restrictions, Dolan said on Wednesday afternoon that he would not be putting up TV screens for Wednesday's watch party. And he disputed the city's claim that MSG had only requested a permit for up to 999 people.
Still, to some New Yorkers, the security restrictions appeared to be a betrayal of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s broader agenda, which included improving access to public spaces and limiting how the NYPD polices major events. The conflict has also focused attention once again on the shaky alliance between the mayor and his police commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
“The NYPD is historically extremely risk-averse to disorderly behavior by crowds, whether they be celebratory or protesting,” said Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University who studies policing. “The mayor now faces a difficult calculus between the strong emotions of Knicks fans and the political risks if crowd control isn’t airtight.”
In recent days, members of Mamdani’s administration have pressed Tisch to allow some version of the watch parties to go forward outside Madison Square Garden, according to two people familiar with the meetings, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the discussions.
In exchange, Tisch has advocated for the security perimeter, citing the need to control against rowdy crowds that have at times become violent and unruly. Some recent fan gatherings in Manhattan have led to dozens of arrests and several injuries to police officers.
Following the Knicks' loss Monday, at least 21 people were taken into custody. The NYPD said it is currently searching for members of a group that ripped a San Antonio Spurs jersey off a man while punching and kicking him.
Shaun Geddes, a Knicks fan who runs a popular podcast about the team, said he had celebrated multiple series-clinching victories outside the arena and found the vast majority of fans were respectful.
“Then there's a small group of people out there cosplaying as Knicks fans and doing performative things to go viral on TikTok,” Geddes added. “But being passionate as a Knicks fan doesn’t mean assaulting anyone.”
The regulations have also left businesses around the arena concerned that they could face a major drop in foot traffic on what would have otherwise been one of the busiest days of the year.
“It’s ruining my business,” said Angela Reilly, the owner of Molly Wee, an Irish pub near the arena. “I haven’t seen anything like this level of security in 46 years.”
In response to criticism about the closure, city officials have noted there isn't a recent precedent for the position in which they now find themselves. The Knicks have not been to an NBA Finals since 1999. Most of the city’s other major sports teams play in the less-crowded outer boroughs or in New Jersey.
But when the New York Rangers — who also play in the Garden— last won the Stanley Cup, in 1994, the NYPD took another approach to managing elated fans.
Ahead of the game, police announced they would clear the area around the arena of potential projectiles, like metal trash cans or debris, but would allow fans to move freely.
“We expect the fans to be extremely vocal,” Allen Hoehl, former NYPD chief, said at a news conference. “If they want to go from here to there, we’ll escort them in any direction.”
New York Knicks fans cheer at a watch party during Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
New York Knicks fans celebrate outside of a watch party in Bryant Park for Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
New York Knicks fans celebrate on the street outside of a watch party in Bryant Park for Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
