21-05-2025
Charges dropped against Michigan student who was arrested during pro-Palestinian protest
The Brief
Remaining charges have been dropped for a University of Michigan student who was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest.
This comes after the Attorney General's Office filed a motion to nolle prosequi, dropping the prosecution.
The Hall Makled Law Firm, who represented the student, made the announcement Tuesday.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - All charges have been dropped against a University of Michigan student who was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest in 2024, according to a law firm.
What they're saying
The Hall Makled Law Firm, who represented the student, announced on Tuesday that all remaining criminal charges against Sammie Lewis, who was arrested during a "Die-In" protest at the university's Festifall event, have been dismissed.
This comes after the Attorney General's Office filed a motion to nolle prosequi, dropping the prosecution.
Dig deeper
The law firm said in a press release that the "Die-In," was a protest organized in solidarity with Gaza and called for the UM's divestment from Israeli-linked interests, saying it was a nonviolent protest.
According to Hall Makled, Lewis was arrested by UM Police after sitting on the sidewalk with other demonstrators. They than say Lewis was tackled by officers and was charged with a misdemeanor.
"This was never about law and order. It was about suppressing a political message," Civil Rights attorney Amir Makled. "Our client was arrested for sitting silently on a sidewalk. This dismissal is not only a legal victory—it's an indictment of the AG's willingness to criminalize dissent. This should have never reached a courtroom. We are calling on the Attorney General to drop all charges against all pro-Palestinian students, and to stop treating peaceful protest as a crime."
The law firm said Lewis's case was one of several student-led pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Michigan campuses.
The backstory
Pro-Palestine activists set up an encampment at U of M's Diag. These demonstrators were calling on the school to divest from Israel amid ongoing violence in Gaza. The activists remained camped out there for about a month in the spring of 2024 before police broke up the demonstration.
When the police arrived on May 21, 2024, they said about 50 people were there. They were asked to leave voluntarily before police began removing them, according to the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety.
Police and protesters clashed as the encampment was broken up, leading to the charges.
The seven people were charged with trespassing and resisting or obstruction of police.
Despite dropping the charges, Nessel said in a statement that her office stands by the decision to issue charges in the first place, based on facts presented to her.
The Source
FOX 2 used details in a press release from the Hall Makled Law Firm for information in this report.
