Texas state troopers descended on a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Texas at Austin campus on Wednesday afternoon.
In an Instagram post, the Palestine Solidarity Committee, an organization "dedicated to organizing for Palestinian liberation and right to return," with a location in Austin, posted its plans to establish "the Popular University" at the UT Austin campus on Wednesday.
According to the post, supporters were going to "reclaim our space" by walking out of class at 11:40 a.m. and meeting at Gregory Plaza. Students were instructed to then march to occupy the lawn. They were told to bring blankets, food, face masks and energy.
The demonstration's aim was to urge UT Austin to "divest from death" and follows similar protests that have occurred at Columbia University in New York City. More than 100 pro-Palestinian student demonstrators have camped out on Columbia's main lawn to protest the war and demand that their school divest from companies with ties to Israel.
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However, during Wednesday's demonstration in Texas, UT Austin police and Texas State Police quickly arrived on the scene and blocked the students' path to the lawn, The Daily Texan posted on X (formerly Twitter), with a video of law enforcement arriving there.
"Roughly 50 state troopers in riot gear have arrived, seven of which are on horseback," wrote The Daily Texan, the college's student newspaper.
Roughly 50 state troopers in riot gear have arrived, seven of which are on horseback. pic.twitter.com/CnZxA0s1I2
— The Daily Texan (@thedailytexan) April 24, 2024
A video shared by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee's Austin location showed hundreds of students marching out of class while chanting "Free, free, free Palestine." According to KXAN reporter Ryan Chandler, police had arrested four people involved in the protest just before 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. Videos of the confrontation showed students and police facing off.
UT/DPS arresting protesting students. DPS confirms at least 4 arrests so far, students not going anywhere soon. pic.twitter.com/r77xHDegMa
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson told Newsweek that it responded to the protest at the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott "in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass."
As of Wednesday evening, more than 20 arrests had been made, the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Abbott directed Newsweek to a post on X from the governor when asked for comment.
"Arrests being made right now & will continue until the crowd disperses. These protesters belong in jail," Abbott posted. "Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period. Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled."
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 24, 2024Arrests being made right now & will continue until the crowd disperses.
These protesters belong in jail.
Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period.
Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled. https://t.co/XhLlQdvUl0
The protest at UT Texas Austin comes days after Abbott posted on X about the protests at Ivy League universities like Columbia.
"Ivy League universities are showing that their time has passed," Abbott wrote. "They are little more than monuments of our past. Now they are accomplices of the chaos they helped to sow."
Protests have been occurring on college campuses since Israel launched its war in Gaza following Hamas' October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and left about 250 others taken hostage. Since then, Israel has killed at least 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, the Associated Press has reported, citing the Gaza Health Ministry.
Houston has become a hot spot for pro-Palestinian protests, with some protests having success in canceling some public-speaking engagements involving Israeli speakers and Jewish sympathizers.
Update 4/24/24, 2:39 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
Update 4/25/24, 8:40 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comments from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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