U-M students protest removal of diversity posters from Haven Hall
Some University of Michigan students believe fliers in support of diversity were purposely ripped down late Monday night or early Tuesday morning on the fourth floor of Haven Hall, The Michigan Daily reports.
The U-M Department of Public Safety has investigated the matter and does not believe the alleged incident was a result of bias.
Students said posters throughout the Department of American Culture promoting LGBT rights, feminism and African American studies were torn off the walls or defaced, the Michigan Daily reported. About 30 students gathered at the hall Wednesday night and hung more than a 1,000 fliers supporting diversity and woman's rights.
Whether the initial fliers were brought down because of their content is not clear. U-M police said the act “did not appear to be malicious as materials were not strewn about."
Read the full Michigan Daily story here.
Editor's note: The day of the alleged incident was incorrect in a previous version of this story. It was reported to U-M police at 3:18 p.m. Tuesday and occurred sometime Monday night or early Tuesday, not Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
f4phantomII
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 11:52 a.m.
Do we know if this was an act of terrorism or a spontaneous attack?
Kai Petainen
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 3:43 a.m.
Dear Colleagues, The strength of our community springs from our tolerance, acceptance and mutual respect for one another. Our academic excellence is rooted in our diversity. I reaffirm these values today in light of an incident of systematic vandalism throughout at least four floors of Haven Hall overnight Monday. Posters, flyers and decorations were removed from the walls and tossed to the ground, and some had push-pins placed on them. Even while the Department of Public Safety continues its thorough police investigation of this incident, I want to say unequivocally: This act of destruction and intolerance is not Michigan. Michigan is the sharing of diverse viewpoints and ideas in a safe environment grounded in mutual respect. The intellectual activity occurring every day in Haven Hall and throughout our campus is cause for celebration and admiration, not defacement, intimidation or harassment. I encourage all members of the University community to take this opportunity to reaffirm our deepest ethical commitment to diversity and respect, values that make Michigan a recognized leader in higher education and beyond. Yours truly, Phil Hanlon Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mike Caruso
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.
The janitors in Mason/Angell/Haven/Tisch clear the walls and doors of all posters every Tuesday morning unless the University gave them approval stamps.. They did the same thing to our SSDP fliers a couple times.
ThinkingOne
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
Sounds like the DPS and Phil Hanlon ought to be speaking to the people in charge of cleaning the hallways. The report that there was no mess left behind certainly indicates that a cleaning crew did the removal. I can't really envision a bunch of people unruly enough to take down that many posters would somehow mange to leave the area perfectly clean. Apparently the removed items weren't even in any nearby trash cans. That is just a bit too neat. And it sounds like everyone else ought to just simmer down.
Mike
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 12:58 a.m.
The haters want to put up posters putting their point of view in everyones faces but if a religious organization wanted to put up posters they would tear them down. Is it just me or what?
Jay Thomas
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.
U of M is already diverse enough not to need a thousand posters put up. It is the rest of the world out there that is not diverse and would object to truly diverse universities turning out graduates looking to fill jobs in those countries. The "diversity" the people in the article are seeking presumably includes affirmative action (which means a diverse body of students who DON'T KNOW the answers to basic questions and thus should be going to school somewhere else.)
Lemmy Caution
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.
Goodness. Even on a perfect sunny day, the Trolls come out to spread their bile. I ask them: How would you like to have a photo of your wife and children defaced with pins pushed into all their eyes? That's the kind of stuff that actually happened in Haven Hall. That's what we're talking about here. Real nasty stuff. Maybe that's just good ole Free Speech in Limbaugh's America, I dunno. To me, it's horrifying. I guess there are two Americas.
Lemmy Caution
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 1:45 a.m.
Actually I work in Haven Hall and heard of this directly. I'm sorry that the article wasn't more detailed. That would have perhaps calmed down some of the loyal "free speech advocates" here.
Rob Pollard
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 9:08 p.m.
As someone who detests Rush Limbaugh, let me ask: what are you talking about? No where in this story, of the Daily story, does it mention "children defaced with pins pushed into all their eyes." In fact, the police state "DPS reported in its incident log that the act "did not appear to be malicious as materials were not strewn about." I don't know what happened - maybe that DPS report is wrong. But offer evidence of what "actually happened" or you are just spreading gossip.
SMAIVE
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:38 p.m.
Or, perhaps the facility manager was adhering to the fire code. Paper flyers in a hallway is a no,-no.
Davidian
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.
"Diverse Like Me"
GoNavy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:12 p.m.
Did the vandals throw the fliers away? If not, were the students who hung the original graffiti asked to come back and clean up?
Dog Guy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.
Clearly, agents provocateurs are busy on campus.
hail2thevict0r
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
Where's the news article with the headline, "1,000 students litter the halls of Haven Hall with leaflets and don't clean up after themselves expecting someone else to take them down."
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:52 p.m.
At this point, without proof, this is all based on speculation by Department of American Culture. Regarding the freedom of speech, University of Michigan in much the same manner as annarbor.com, is a private property and therefore regulated. So, to assume that removal the fliers was not ordered is silly.
ThinkingOne
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.
You had me after your first paragraph, but lost me after your second. After criticizing others for making assumptions, you make the assumption that they were 'ordered' to be taken down by the university. Rather, as seen below by another poster, it seems to be merely an item of routine weekly maintenance & cleaning.
say it plain
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.
omg, the nonsensical non-excuses for some blatantly hateful acts! oh, yeah, vandalism is "free speech" when it's the straight white males tired of being forced to look at pro-queer, pro-women, pro-black rhetoric lol... I forgot how that works in the minds of some. I think even the Supreme Court Justice who had to endure a shout-down from some one or other could tell us the mis-takes of this stance, no?!
Jim Osborn
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.
What happens when a Supreme Court Justice tries to give a speech in Rackham? He gets shouted down. No, some don't want both sides heard, only their side
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:37 p.m.
"hung more than a 1,000 fliers" That might be your clue. People don't like be shouted at, and they also don't like being blitzed with the same poster and/or same topic on every single wall and kiosk around them.
xmo
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:34 p.m.
I guess the "Department of American Culture" didn't like the "Free Speech" that was being exercised by the opposing point of view? " fliers in support of diversity were purposely ripped down late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning"