The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government has had enough of pro-Palestinian student activists elected this spring on a platform to “Shut It Down.”

Last week, the CSG voted overwhelmingly to impeach former president Alifa Chowdhry and vice president Elias Atkinson, who were elected with others on a platform to “Shut It Down” in March.

Chowdhry, Atkinson and others who gained 22 seats on the 45-member body immediately called for UM regents to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s defenses against Hamas and repeatedly refused to fund student groups that depend on annual appropriations until that happens.

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But it was statements that “encouraged – and foreseeably resulted in – lawless action” from Shut It Down supporters at a CSB meeting in October that ultimately led to charges of incitement of violence, cyber theft, and dereliction of duty.

The articles of impeachment against Chowdhry and Atkinson cited Shut It Down supporters who “began shouting and amassing on the floor of the Assembly, menacing Members of the Assembly and CSG personnel, and engaged in other violent and destructive acts” at the Oct. 8 meeting, where the CSG rejected a Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act that would have provided “$440,000 to re-building education in Gaza,” the World Socialist Web Site reports.

Instead, the CSG approved a Wolverines’ Budget Act to establish a budget for student programs, services, operations and discretionary costs for the fall semester. Student groups secured temporary funding for programs following repeated budget vetoes by Chowdhry, and the budget act provided the means to repay those borrowed funds, Michigan Daily reports.

The budget approval was met with rage from Shut It Down supporters, forcing the CSG to end the meeting early, CSG Assembly Speaker Mario Thaqi told the news site.

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Chowdhury allegedly changed the CSG’s Instagram account password without authorization and used the account to call for supporters to “pack CSG” ahead of the vote, prompting the charge of “cyber theft of CSG property” in the impeachment.

“This has never happened before – impeaching a sitting president or vice president,” Thaqi said, according to the Washington Examiner. Thaqi said that fact alone “speaks volumes” about Chowdhury’s and Atkinson’s actions.

Other articles of impeachment detailed how Chowdhury failed to hold any University Council meetings since taking office, complete required training for Executive Committee members, submit required end of year reports, or nominate individuals to open positions, Michigan Daily reports.

The impeachments followed widespread protests at UM and other college campuses across the country in 2024 to register frustrations with U.S. support for Israel and demand universities cut ties with companies that back the nation’s closest ally.

For a month this spring, protestors camped on UM’s Diag, where protestors harassed Jewish students, antagonized the university administration, and distributed literature that called for Death to America, before UM officials cleared the encampment on May 21 over repeated safety issues, graffiti, and destruction of property.

A statement from UM President Santa Ono also cited demonstrations at the homes of several UM Board of Regents that featured late night chants, demands posted to their doors, and fake bloody body bags strewn on their lawns.

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights received 75 complaints of harassment at UM mostly targeting Jewish students, and subsequent investigations found few were investigated by the university, the Examiner reports.

The secret ballot to impeach Chowdhury and Atkinson passed with a vote of 30-7, with one abstention and one absence. The Central Student Judiciary must now hold a trial to confirm the impeachment.

If upheld, Thaqi would become the new CSG president, The Michigan Daily reports.