FBI arrests University of Michigan-linked suspects accused of threatening officials, businesses and a Jewish federation, and plotting intimidation, vandalism and assaults to pressure the university to sever ties with IsraelEight pro-Palestinian activists, five women and three men, have been charged with orchestrating a coordinated campaign of threats, intimidation and property damage targeting Jews, Israel supporters and officials at the University of Michigan. Authorities say the campaign aimed to pressure the university to divest from Israel. The federal indictment was announced by the U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday.FBI agents arrested the suspects, aged 21 to 28, at multiple locations across Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. The indictments, filed on May 20 but made public only recently, charge the defendants with a series of offenses, including threats, vandalism, and conspiracy to intimidate.The accused are Zainab Hakim, 23, of Canton, MI; Amatullah Hakim, 21, of Ann Arbor, MI; Paige Elizabeth Feyock, 26, of Ann Arbor, MI; Ahmet Korkaya, 28, of Milwaukee, WI; Jonathan Zou, 22, of Ann Arbor, MI; Alexander Sepulveda, 23, of Chicago, IL; Mariam Odeh, 24, of Dearborn, MI; and Colin Hunter Weger, 24, of Ann Arbor, MI.3 View gallery A threat in front of the home of one of the University of Michigan regents (Photo: From the indictment)According to the indictment, the group used encrypted messages on social media and foreign collaboration platforms to identify targets, gather personal information and plan actions. Targets included University of Michigan officials, law enforcement, businesses associated with Israel and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.The alleged plot began shortly after the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack. On October 20, the defendants reportedly issued a list of demands calling for the university to “fully and completely divest” from Israel and associated companies. Authorities say that, when their demands were not met, the group undertook “autonomous actions,” including planning to seize university buildings, block campus events, and vandalize property.The indictment claims that the suspects exchanged particularly violent messages discussing ways “to kill,” “torture” and “terrorize” their targets. At one point, Korkaya, then a medical student, allegedly talked about slowly poisoning a university board member: “I’m gonna be the dirtiest f------- doctor ever / I’m gonna be [victim’s] doctor / poison her a-- slowly,” he wrote, according to the Justice Department. Another defendant suggested that the group should “get into that house then burn it down.”3 View gallery Epithets sprayed by the defendants(Photo: From the indictment)Authorities say the activists also carried out late-night vandalism - spray-painting symbols and slogans on homes and businesses, breaking windows, blocking entrances and throwing glass jars containing acid and paint. They reportedly documented and posted images of these acts online with threatening messages such as “You can’t hide” and “We’ll be back stronger.”Investigators noted that some of the graffiti included inverted red triangles - a symbol which Hamas has used in its military videos to mark targets for death, alongside red handprints - which Hamas has used to symbolize the Ramallah Lynching of 2000 and the murder of two Israeli military reservists during the Second Intifada, and slogans such as “Intifada” and “Divest now.”The indictment also links the defendants to vandalism of the Jewish Federation building in Detroit on October 7, 2024, the first anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel.3 View gallery Vandalism committed by the defendants(Photo: From the indictment)“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 F. Gorgon said in a statement.FBI Special Agent Jennifer Runyan emphasized the seriousness of the case. "No one has the right to threaten, intimidate, and coerce public officials, law enforcement officers, community institutions, or their families. In the dead of night, masked and hooded defendants allegedly threw noxious chemicals through the windows of families’ homes and taped demand letters to their front doors. At every step they attempted to cover their tracks and delete evidence of their crimes. Those who engage in coordinated campaigns of threats and intimidation should expect to be held fully accountable under federal law."