AFT Michigan believes deeply in free speech and peaceful, non-violent protest – tools that have been used to broaden democracy for all workers. Non-violent protest has sometimes included civil disobedience – the refusal to obey unjust laws.
However, there is an important difference between breaking an unjust law using non-violent tactics and attempts to intimidate and bully. Recent actions taken against members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, such as showing up in masks at private residences in the middle of the night or vandalizing workplaces, have crossed this line.
We invite all of our labor movement siblings and community allies to join us in condemning such tactics and to instead work together to create a campus community that respects free speech and safety for all of its members.
