Authorities months later have filed charges against nine people who are accused of trespassing or resisting police during the May break-up of an encampment at the University of Michigan.
"The First Amendment does not provide a cover for illegal activity," Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday, a day after charges were filed in Washtenaw County.
The camp on the Diag, known for decades as a site for campus protests, was cleared by police on May 21 after a month. Video posted online showed police using what appeared to be an irritant to spray people, who were forced to retreat.
The university said the camp had become a threat to safety, with overloaded power sources and open flames.
Nessel said two people were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and seven more people were charged with trespassing as well as resisting police, a felony.
Protesters have demanded that the school's endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. But the university insists it has no direct investments and less than $15 million placed with funds that might include companies in Israel. That's less than 0.1% of the total endowment.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat who supports the protesters, said the charges were "frivolous" and a "shameful attack" on the rights of students.
Separately, Nessel said state prosecutors charged two people for alleged acts during a counter-demonstration on April 25, a few days after the camp was created.
Nessel said authorities still were investigating spring protests at the homes of elected members of the university's governing board.
The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
