University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker's home was vandalized early this morning. According to The Detroit News, vandals threw a mason jar through a window and defaced a family vehicle with a pro-Palestinian slogan, "Divest and Free Palestine." Acker, who is Jewish, called the attack a threat against his family, noting the upside-down red triangle painted on the vehicle is a symbol used by Hamas to mark military targets. He described the incident as terrorism rather than a protest. University officials also condemned the act, calling it "a clear act of anti-Semitic intimidation."
In a statement to WXYZ, Acker revealed that this was the third incident targeting him, citing previous vandalism at his Southfield law office in June, which included messages like "UM KILLS" and an obscenity directed at him. Acker reiterated his position, saying, "Make no mistake, that targeting individual Jewish elected officials is anti-semitism. This has nothing to do with Palestine or the war in Gaza or anything else — this is done as a message to scare Jews.” He mentioned that additional security measures are being considered for his family’s protection, though he did not provide further details.
Similar acts of vandalism have occurred at the homes of other university leaders, reflecting the tense atmosphere on campus surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These incidents followed demonstrations and calls for the university to divest from holdings connected to Israel, spurred by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli counterattacks in Gaza. The University of Michigan's Office of Public Affairs condemned these acts, calling them harassment related to the work done on behalf of the university. Their statement, shared with WXYZ, reaffirms the university’s strong disapproval of such criminal behavior.
Acker posted on Instagram to share the fear and intimidation his family experienced during the vandalism. "In the very early hours of this morning, while my wife, my three young daughters and I were asleep in our beds, we were awakened by the sound of two heavy thrown through the front window of our house," Acker said in the post. He called the acts Klan-like tactics and urged the Michigan community to publicly denounce the vile anti-Semitic intimidation and assist law enforcement in bringing the perpetrators to justice. Acker emphasized, "We all need to call out this cowardly act attacking my family and my home for what it truly is — terrorism."
