Wayne State University hosted its first in-person Board of Governors (BOG) meeting since April, and 11 students and two professors spoke during public comment about topics that included increased police presence at meetings and university divestment from weapons manufacturers.

The 3 p.m. general body session began with WSU President Kimberly Andrews Espy reading a statement displayed in the meeting room about potential consequences to meeting disruptions, WSU’s student newspaper the South End reported.

“If the meeting is disrupted to the point where the board’s business cannot be completed, and the meeting must be recessed or adjourned, there will be no public comment at this meeting,” a placard outside the meeting room read. WSU’s Students for Justice in Palestine posted a photo of it to Instagram.

In April, the WSU Police Department physically removed pro-Palestine activists from a BOG meeting. In May, the WSUPD tore down a pro-Palestine encampment and arrested 12 people. 

The BOG last met in June virtually; and student activists and the Wayne Academic Union (WAU), the university’s faculty and staff union, which was negotiating a contract at the time, met in-person to deliver virtual public comment.

A video posted by WSU’s SJP shows student activists on Sept. 10 had turned their chairs to face the opposite direction of the board while it went through its regular agenda. Videos also show students raising their red-painted hands during the public comment.

Multiple public commenters said they want the board to meet with students as well as to reduce police presence. The South End reported the WAU President Jennifer Moss said the union is concerned about safety and student speech on campus.

“Instead of feeling safe, as we always did, now we feel less safe,” Moss said during public comment. “Members of the campus community who are people of color feel particularly at risk as they consider that there is now an element of surveillance directed towards them. Let’s be clear, the campus is not under attack, and it never was. Since these students are our future, I suggest you consider listening to their message and scrutinize the university’s investments to be sure that we are not profiting off the death of fellow humans or the planet. There’s really nothing controversial about that.” 

At the BOG meeting on June 26, Bethany Gielczyk, now senior vice president for finance and business affairs, said the university’s exposure to companies manufacturing controversial weapons was less than 2 percent, and the university would need to divest from 80 percent of its portfolio to reduce the exposure.

After public comment on June 26, Governor Bryan Barnhill said he didn’t think “divesting from Lockheed Martin or Boeing will accomplish the goal of creating peace in Gaza.”

“Many of my colleagues on the board are folks who have devoted their lives, their time, energy, money toward a variety of progressive causes,” Barnhill said after the public comment in June. “If you put your critical thinking hat on, I want to just challenge the notion that these people, including myself, would suddenly become warmongering sponsors of state violence.”

Associate professor Thomas Pedroni said 10 police officers stood outside the meeting room during his public comment on Sept. 13, the South End reported.

“There are two visions of the university, and one pretends that we’re having open civil discourse yet has all the police behind the wall,” Pedroni said. “The other is those of us who really do believe in engagement.”

WSU Associate Vice President of Communications Matt Lockwood said on Monday the WSUPD plans for events accordingly.

“We regularly take prudent action to plan for the safety and operational needs of events on campus,” Lockwood said.

SJP member and Student Senator Ridaa Khan said activists are not criminals, the South End reported. 

“Stop surveilling us,” Khan said during public comment. “You have no idea about the students who don’t feel comfortable speaking out because of your actions against pro-Palestine and pro-divestment actions. Students have attempted many methods to get those in charge to meet with them, the most urgent being divestment. As long as this administration refuses to, according to its own values, have civil discourse face-to-face with their students, you are not a legitimate administration.” 

WSU’s BOG next meets on Oct. 23 for public comment and standing committees at WSU’s Student Center. According to the BOG’s website, the board will meet Oct. 24 for the rest of the meeting in Grand Rapids.