State Troopers Intervene During University of Texas at Austin Protest

AUSTIN (The Dallas Morning News/TNS/Hamodia) — Arrests were continuing into early Wednesday evening at the University of Texas after hundreds of students walked out of class to protest the war in Gaza and demand that the university system divest from companies that manufacture machinery used in war.

Dozens of state troopers and police officers in riot gear — many carrying zip ties and pepper spray — were on the Austin campus shortly after the pro-Palestinian protest began around midday.

More than 20 individuals had been arrested at the state’s flagship public university, most of whom faced charges of trespassing, according to officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Students had locked arms on the South Mall, in front of the UT Tower, chanting as groups of officers advanced toward them during the protest.

Some state troopers carried assault rifles and others were stationed on horses. Periodically, officers were heard ordering students to leave or face arrest.

Students chanted to officers, “Off our campus!”

Gov. Greg Abbott posted on social media late Wednesday that “arrests being made right now & will continue until the crowd disperses. These protesters belong in jail. Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period.”

He went on to say, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.”

Student organizers of the UT rally shared on social media that they planned to walk out of class, “reclaiming our space as we demand divestment now.”

Erick Lara, 20, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering, said he was on his way to the gym in the afternoon when he ran into the protest. He said it seemed to transform within minutes from a peaceful rally to one in which he saw people being arrested.

“I didn’t think it would escalate this far,” he said. “And I didn’t think there would be this much police intervention into what’s supposed to be a peaceful protest. Not very peaceful when there’s a bunch of aggressors around, especially on horses.”

UT officials sent out a letter earlier that said school officials would not tolerate disruptions “like we have seen at other campuses,” a spokesperson for the university’s division of student affairs said in a statement issued early Wednesday. “This is an important time in our semester with students finishing classes and studying for finals, and we will act first and foremost to allow those critical functions to proceed without interruption.”

Lara added that students have been upset with UT President Jay Hartzell for not speaking up about the war in Gaza, which is part of the reason why they’re protesting.

UT officials have not responded to requests for comment.

KXAN news reported that a letter sent to the student organization Palestine Solidarity Committee from UT’s office of the dean of students informed the group on Tuesday that the students were not permitted to hold their event on campus.

“Refusal to comply may result in arrest,” the letter read. It went on to note that the group had “declared intent to violate our policies and rules, and disrupt our campus operations” with Wednesday’s planned rally.

Meanwhile, in North Texas, dozens of students at the University of Texas at Arlington also walked out at that school on Wednesday, gathering in front of the campus library. Social-media videos showed students with signs and a banner that read “Stop arming Israel.”

On Tuesday, about 100 students at UT Dallas occupied the administration building for several hours calling for similar divestments. At that gathering, students were seen singing, writing to school officials and even doing homework as the night went on before an announcement was made that the campus president would meet with them.

The UTD students had noted they were also protesting Abbott’s executive order that the governor said was aimed at fighting antisemitism, charging schools with updating their free-speech policies.

In the order, issued in early April, Abbott said that he wants college officials to establish punishments — including expulsion — and to “ensure that groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine are disciplined for violating these policies.”

The Texas protests come days after students at Columbia University in New York were arrested and charged with trespassing.

Campuses nationwide have had protests since Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 people hostage, according to the Israeli government. In the months following, Israel has invaded Gaza strip multiple times, killing over 34,000 people, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between terrorists and civilians. Hamas uses civilians as human shields, hiding and storing weapons in population centers, schools and hospitals.

At UT, many students wore keffiyehs. Some students began setting up tents on the south mall.

“You don’t scare us,” the student crowd chanted, facing the officers. “We are the people!” “We pay your paychecks.”

Jasmine Santilla, 20, a sophomore studying accounting, said she saw students protesting peacefully when law enforcement showed up.

“They weren’t throwing anything around, not harming anyone,” she said. “And the cops came in and arrested a good amount of people. For what?”

Meanwhile, dozens of students with Israel flags and signs watched from the sidelines, among them freshman Corey Taitel, 19.

“It’s great that (the police) are on our side,” the business major said. “They see the things happening in the Ivy League, and it’s extremely scary. So I feel overall safe.”

Taitel said his mother has been calling him worried for his safety as a Jewish student.

“Today three girls started screaming at me. They told me I need to burn my flag,” he said of the small Israeli flag he had. “I don’t think they should be arrested if they’re just standing there. But everybody that’s been arrested has (done something).”

By the early evening, the south mall was cleared off with a wall of officers prohibiting access.

Organizations and politicians across the country are watching the protests evolve at UT and other campuses.

“This is a deeply alarming and sudden escalation at UT-Austin, seemingly on the basis of the behavior of students on other campuses,” said Kristen Shahverdian, campus free speech program director at PEN America, in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Law enforcement must prioritize deescalation tactics and constructive dialogue during peaceful demonstrations, Shaimaa Zayan, operations manager of the Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in Austin, said in a statement.

“Arresting students advocating for peace sends the wrong message and only exacerbates tensions further,” Zayan said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has in the past been named an unindicted co-conspirator in a case involving the Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity accused of funneling funds to Hamas.