Hundreds of Texas Department of Public Safety agents cracked down on pro-Hamas protesters on the University of Texas campus Wednesday. Demonstrators in the Texas capital took to the streets in solidarity with students at other major universities across the country.
According to an Instagram post, protests in Austin tidy By the Palestine Solidarity Committee. The group posted:
Today, the University of Texas’ Palestine Solidarity Committee launched the Popular University Movement on campus and was greeted with a massive crackdown by university and state police, with at least 16 people arrested so far.
KVUE, an ABC affiliate in Austin; report At least 10 people had been arrested by 1 p.m. Central time.
KXAN reporter Ryan Chandler captured close-up video and photos of Texas DPS officers marching into the protest on foot and horseback and beginning to move protesters off campus. His report highlighted the actions of police officers and the arrest of some protesters.
UT/DPS arrests protesting students. DPS has confirmed at least four arrests so far, but the students aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/r77xHDegMa
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
The action by Texas DPS followed a notice from University of Texas officials that protesters would not be allowed to occupy this campus, as has been done at other universities. UT authorities warned organizers to call off the protest.
“Simply put, the University of Texas at Austin is determined that this campus will be ‘occupied’ and that protesters will derail our mission in ways that groups within your national organization have accomplished elsewhere. “We will not tolerate this,” the letter says.
Shortly after protesters moved onto the University of Texas campus, hundreds of DPS officers marched in response, Chandler reported.
DPS appears to be preparing to disband with a heavy show of DPS troopers in riot gear. pic.twitter.com/xJ1jZlNRjy
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
Arrests began soon after, he said.
It’s chaos now. DPS riot officers forcibly disperse protesters, interact with them, and arrest at least one person pic.twitter.com/bQqRqWyzUO
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
Police in riot gear formed a skirmish line and began pushing back the demonstrators.
I’m currently at UT Austin. Demonstrators and DPS face off in the center of campus pic.twitter.com/OipxvXDbWC
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
DPS officers issued a trespass warning and ordered the crowd to disperse or be arrested.
DPS announced their presence was trespassing and those who did not leave would be arrested.It’s located on the main lawn of a major public university in Texas. pic.twitter.com/0HZ1AW9PBf
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) April 24, 2024
KVUE, an ABC affiliate in Austin; report At least 10 people had been arrested by 1 p.m. Central time.
Texas State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) spoke out on X about the actions of the university and Texas DPS officers. She called the behavior “unruly.”
We are getting answers as to why students are being arrested. @UTAustin . Unless there is an actual threat of violence, this is out of control.
When I was a student, we would usually hold sit-ins.@RevJ Jackson Inside the actual UT law school, the administration ignored us. https://t.co/AswXkhu1da
— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaForAustin) April 24, 2024
CBS Austin provided live streaming of the protests on the UT Austin campus.
University of Texas at Austin’s Palestine Solidarity Committee organizes strike https://t.co/AQ2xVY19Qk
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) April 24, 2024
bob price He is an associate editor and senior news contributor on the Breitbart Texas Border Team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team.Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston What is your point? sunday morning talk show.He is also the president of blue wonder cancer care products.
