Michigan congressional Republicans call for investigation into ‘Death to America’ chants

Clockwise: U.S. Reps. Lisa McClain, John James, John Moolenaar, Jack Bergman and Tim Walberg | House photos

Members of Michigan’s Republican congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday, calling for an investigation into pro-Palestinian protests after video of a rally in Dearborn made national headlines.

During an April 5 rally organized by the Al-Quds Committee Detroit in support of Palestine, some individuals could be heard chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in Arabic. The chant is used in Iran to express opposition to American foreign policy. 

The letter signed by U.S. Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia), Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet), Tim Walberg (R-Tipton), John James (R-Shelby Twp.) and Lisa McClain (R-Bruce Twp.) called the chants “anti-American and antisemitic” and challenged protection of the speech under the First Amendment saying they were inciting violence.

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

While Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) was the only Republican representative from the state who did not sign onto the letter, he has shared support for Israel, releasing a statement calling for action on bills to provide Israel with aid and pass new sanctions on Iran after it launched a retaliatory attack on Israel on April 13.

The Al-Quds Committee released a video alongside a statement on Facebook noting that the person who started the chant was not affiliated with the Al-Quds Day event, calling it “wrongful.” 

The statement noted the long history of Al-Quds Day in Dearborn and said such chants are never used. It also expressed continued support for Palestine and shared concerns that this instance is being used to single out and harass Muslims who speak out against Israel.

The chants were condemned by Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who called them “unacceptable.”

“We reject all inflammatory and violent statements made at the gathering,” Hammoud said in a post to X on April 8. “Dearborn is a city of proud Americans; the hateful rhetoric heard on Friday does not reflect the opinion of the members of this community.”

In their letter, the Republican lawmakers called for an investigation into Al-Quds Day rallies across the U.S. calling them “platforms for inciting terrorism and violence,” and encouraged the Department of Justice to take action to investigate violent speech at other events. 

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an anti-hate organization which supports Israel, released a report raising concerns about the “violent nature” of rhetoric used at other Al-Quds day protests, saying protestors called for Israel’s destruction.

The Republican representatives requested answers to the following questions in their letter to Garland:

• What measures is the Department of Justice taking to investigate and prosecute the individuals and organizations involved in organizing and promoting Al-Quds Day rallies, particularly those engaged in incitement to violence against the United States and its allies? 

• Has the Department identified any links between the organizers and participants of these rallies and known terrorist organizations, such as Hamas?

• If so, what actions are being taken to disrupt and dismantle these networks?

• Are federal law enforcement agencies coordinating with state and local authorities to monitor and respond to potential threats posed by individuals associated with these events?

Israel declared war on Hamas following an Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,160 people, who were mostly civilians. Reports from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry say more than 34,000 people have been killed while more than 76,833 have been wounded since the war began.

The post Michigan congressional Republicans call for investigation into ‘Death to America’ chants appeared first on Michigan Advance.