SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) -- Police in Southfield are investigating a possible hate crime after the law offices of University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker were vandalized with pro-Palestinian graffiti early Monday morning.
Employees at Goodman Acker arrived Monday morning to find red and black spray paint on the building's sign, doors and sidewalks.
The words "Free Palestine" and "divest" were written multiple times, as well as "UM kills" and messages containing the f-word directed at Acker.
The vandalism comes nearly two weeks after U-M officials removed pro-Palestinian encampments from the Diag on the university's campus in Ann Arbor. As with other college campuses across the country this spring, students and other protesters had gathered on the Michigan campus in opposition of the Israel-Hamas war, demanding the school divest interest from Israeli-back corporations.
Acker — whose house was targeted by protesters last month — spoke out on the vandalism at a press conference outside the law firm Monday, explaining why he felt it was a hate crime.
"When you show up at only one regent's house and it is a Jewish regent and when you show up at someone's business and only a Jewish regent, you are sending a message that it is okay to terrorize Jews, and it is not okay," Acker said.
While Acker said he can't speculate on exactly what happened, he believes the vandalism may be tied to the campus protests.
"Some of the rhetoric coming out of the U of M encampment was despicable, and it's not hard to see where this leads. Even if it's not them, the rhetoric from this — when you're saying 'all Zionists should die' or 'globalize the intifada' — this is what that looks like," Acker said.
As of Monday afternoon, Southfield police had not identified any suspects in the vandalism at the law firm, but are asking anyone who knows something about it to call the Southfield Police Department at (248) 796-5500 and reference complaint number 24-19826.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
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