The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor’s student government on Tuesday approved articles of impeachment against its President Alifa Chowdhury and Vice President Elias Atkinson by a vote of 30 vs. 7, with 1 abstention.
The impeachment motion was introduced by Margaret Peterman, a sophomore and student government member who had also authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper detailing how protesters had “verbally assaulted” and threatened members of the Central Student Government (CSG).
Good News! @UMich‘s student government IMPEACHES anti-Israel President Alifa Chowdhury & Vice President Elias Atkinson for:
– inciting violence
– cyber theft
– dereliction of dutyThese student leaders had been blocking crucial funding for student programs—like transportation,… pic.twitter.com/DR7BQIV4xQ
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 13, 2024
“Since their time in office began, they have refused to do the duties constitutionally required of them, have incited violence against members of this body, and have openly degraded representatives for disagreeing with the mechanisms by which they govern. After repeated calls for their resignation from over 40 current and former members of CSG and repeated refusals to do so, this assembly is left with no choice but to impeach.” Peterman said during Tuesday’s meeting.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Chowdhury and Atkinson, along with about two dozen student government representatives, were elected last spring on a pro-Hamas platform known as “Shut It Down.” The platform pledged to withhold student government funding typically allocated for student activities—such as a campus food pantry, MCAT and LSAT prep services, and an airport transportation service—until the university met their demands for divestment from companies doing business with Israel.
However, university regents have publicly affirmed that they will “continue to shield the endowment from political pressures” and have no plans to divest from companies with economic ties to Israel.
After the new leaders vetoed multiple budgets, the student government defied Chowdhury and Atkinson last month by reinstating funding for student groups.
Protesters, angered by that vote and another rejecting a proposal to allocate student fees to support Gaza universities affected by the Israel-Hamas war, threatened and shouted at student government leaders after the meeting.
According to the articles of impeachment, Chowdhury then took control of the student government’s Instagram account, changed the password to block access for others, and posted a message calling the voters “Zionists.”
The first article of impeachment says that while Chowdhury and Atkinson ran the Central Student Government — and in violation of their oath to support the mission of the Central Student Government, “Alifa Anam Chowdhury engaged in impeachable conduct by inciting violence against the Central Student Government.”
“On October 8, 2024, the Assembly of the Central Student Government met to consider two student petitions, the Wolverines’ Budget Act and the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act,” the first article of impeachment relates. “Shortly before the meeting commenced, President Chowdhury contacted supporters through a SHUT IT DOWN Instagram post. This post made calls to ‘pack CSG.’ They also willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — lawless action at the meeting, such as an email alleging that ‘Zionist members of CSG’ were attempting to punish Palestine and remarking that they ‘welcome this fight, and call on you to join us.’”
The other two articles of impeachment deal with cybertheft – taking over the CSG Instagram account; and dereliction of duty by failing to fulfill the duties of their office – and the article listed a very long list of neglected duties on the part of both pro-Hamas student politicians.
