Police arrest over 100 pro-Palestine protesters at UT Austin.

Over 100 Pro-Palestine Protestors Arrested at UT Austin

More than 100 pro-Palestine protestors were arrested at the University of Texas, Austin, on Monday. This comes after a surprise encampment was set up on the campus' South Mall, calling for the university to divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers and for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Three Travis County officials confirmed that at least 100 arrests were made, with charges including resisting arrest and possible assault. This, after protesters chanted "Free Palestine" and "Whose lawn? Our lawn!", creating a barrier with foldable tables, some chained together.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.42.htm

UT officials claim the protest was a violation of Texas laws relating to disorderly conduct, riots, and criminal trespass. This is the first escalation since Wednesday's protest, where 57 people were arrested, but charges were dropped due to "deficiencies" in probable cause arrest affidavits.

In a display of force, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and UT police dismantled the encampment, dragging and using pepper spray on protestors. Georgina Bermudez, a UT student, described the scene as "chaos," stating:

“Nobody was doing anything violent against police. We’re literally just standing there. […] It was chaos."

— Georgina Bermudez, UT Student

Video and reports from the scene show troopers dragging protesters from the South Mall, as well as pepper-spraying students attempting to stop a van taking arrested protestors to jail. UT student Georgina Bermudez reported that police gave no warning before deploying pepper spray.

In a statement, UT spokesperson Brian Davis accused protesters of ignoring directives to comply with rules and remove tents. The university also claimed to have received "extensive online threats" from an unnamed group organizing the protest, which included the strategic placement of "baseball-sized rocks."

Gov. Greg Abbott maintained a hardline stance, stating on social media: "No encampments will be allowed. Instead, arrests are being made."

This protest is the latest in a series organized by pro-Palestine groups on campus, with the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a registered student group, being placed on interim suspension for their involvement in previous rallies.

Various community groups unaffiliated with UT, such as the Welaunee Defense Society and the Palestinian Youth Movement, also played a role in organizing this protest through social media.

Source URLs:

• https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.42.htm
• https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Rnyxsya4G/
• https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Rnyxsya4G/?img_index=1
• https://blockcopcity.org/faq
• https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Wr9UuyIPs/
• https://www.instagram.com/p/C6W0hgiSKRa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==