The Oakland County Road Commission has temporarily removed a road sign about Palestinians from its Adopt-A-Road program in West Bloomfield Township over safety concerns.
Located on Orchard Lake Road between Maple and Walnut Lake, the sign says “Voices for Palestinians.” It was put forth for approval by West Bloomfield resident Shahaboddin Owlia and approved by the road commission at the end of October 2025, said commission spokesperson Craig Bryson.
Bryson said the road commission took down the sign “out of an interest of safety” before County Executive Dave Coulter called on the commission on Sunday to review the sign placement. In a statement, Coulter noted West Bloomfield’s significant Jewish population and the fact that the sign was close to the Temple Israel synagogue, which was attacked March 12 by a Dearborn Heights man that the FBI said was a Hezbollah-inspired act of terror.
“We don’t want this sign to be the reason anyone, regardless of religion, creed, political position or whatever, commits any kind of aggressive act,” Bryson said.
Bryson said the road commission is reviewing its Adopt-A-Road program with its legal counsel, including whether the First Amendment plays a role in the process.
Bryson explained that the Adopt-A-Road program is designed to dedicate a stretch of road in Oakland County to a person, organization or cause with the intent of the dedicator working with the county to keep the road clean.
“Politicians put their names on there, people put their deceased family members’ names in memory, subdivision groups, Boy Scout troops, Girl Scout troops, you name it,” Bryson said. “So as long as it’s not an obscenity, generally speaking, we will approve it.”
In light of Coulter’s concerns, the road commission spokesman noted that the person behind the sign in question lives in West Bloomfield. He also pointed out that the sign was approved more than four months before the Temple Israel attack.
In his statement, Coulter said the sign “risks being perceived as an act of provocation.”
“While the First Amendment protects a wide range of speech — including speech that many may find offensive or disagreeable — courts have long recognized that reasonable, content-neutral restrictions may apply based on time, place and manner to protect the rights and safety of others,” Coulter said.
In response, Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Dawud Walid accused Coulter of making a “biased attempt to silence voices in support of Palestinian humanity.”
“Palestinians have been subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide — with the complicity of our nation and the international community — because they have been dehumanized and denied their human rights for decades,” Walid said in a Monday state, arguing there are many Jews in Michigan and throughout the United States who advocate for Palestinian rights.
mbryan@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: West Bloomfield sign dedicated to Palestinians removed, stirring debate
Reporting by Max Bryan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Max Bryan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
