A Southfield law office was hit by vandals early Monday in an apparent pro-Palestinian protest, with graffiti messages like "FREE PALESTINE" and "DIVEST NOW" spray-painted on the premises. The Goodman Acker Law Firm, reported by FOX 2 Detroit, was defaced with red paint splashed across their sign and red handprints on their door.
One of the firm's partners, attorney Jordan Acker, a University of Michigan Regent, appears to be the specific target of the vandalism, marked by phrases such as "UM KILLS" and an obscenity directed at Acker. Surveillance footage, as per a report by WXYZ, shows four suspects at the scene between 1:39 a.m., and 1:46 a.m. This incident follows an earlier act of protest three weeks ago when a list of demands was taped to Acker's home door by a masked man.
According to Deadline Detroit, Southfield Police Lt. Mo Bzeih has confirmed that the department is investigating the incident and is in the process of collecting facts. A previous demonstration by pro-Palestinian students at U-M called for the school to cease investment in companies with ties to Israel, however, it is reported by the Associated Press that the university's endowment has no direct investments in Israeli companies.
The law firm condemned the vandalism as an antisemitic attack, stating their long history of supporting civil rights and fighting discrimination. Goodman Acker, which identifies as a Muslim and Jewish-owned business, has been serving the local community for three decades.
In a related act of protest, a group known as the TAHRIR Coalition claimed responsibility for placing fake bloody corpses on the lawn of U-M Regent Sarah Hubbard, an action aimed at pressuring for divestment from companies associated with Israel. This group described their tactics as "non-violent home visits" aimed to confront the Regents over the University's investments, a claim stated in the WXYZ article.
