Abbott says pro-Palestine protesters at UT Austin ‘belong in jail’
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said the pro-Palestine protesters on the University of Texas at Austin campus “belong in jail” and that arrests were being made.
“Arrests being made right now & will continue until the crowd disperses. These protesters belong in jail,” Abbott posted on the social platform X.
Texas state police detained at least four protesters Wednesday on the UT Austin campus after hundreds of students walked out of classes and began a sit-in to support civilians in Gaza.
The university had prepared for the protests that began midday, with the office of student affairs sending out a statement that warned students there would be consequences for participating in the protest.
Abbott said students who join the “hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.”
It was not immediately clear if there had been antisemitic chants at the University of Texas demonstrations.
The UT Austin protests mirror protests on numerous other college campuses. Tensions have risen in New York City, where more than 100 students have been arrested at Columbia University for setting up encampments on school property and protesting.
Campus protests around the country have often included Jewish students, some of whom have pushed back on suggestions of antisemitism. Videos taken near Columbia University in New York show Jewish students being told to go back to Poland and include pro-Hamas chants. But some of those instances also have been blamed on nonstudent demonstrators.
Students are angry about their First Amendment right to peacefully protest being taken away by university officials. In 2019, Abbott signed a bill that would protect free speech on college campuses in Texas.
“Shouldn’t have to do it. First Amendment guarantees it,” he said in a video after he signed the bill. “Now, it’s law in Texas.”
The Hill has reached out to Abbott's office for further comment.
Date: |
Filter
-
UT Austin students get civil rights group's help for Latinx Graduation canceled by DEI cuts
A Latinx Graduation ceremony at UT Austin eliminated by DEI cuts that celebrates students' Hispanic heritage will take place off campus after Latino civil rights group LULAC and a GoFundMe helped make it happen.NBC News - Top stories -
Austin City Council passes gender affirming care protections after Texas lawsuit
The Austin City Council passed protections for gender-affirming care Thursday, only a few days after the state of Texas filed a lawsuit over Title IX changes granting protections for transgender people. “Trans people deserve the right to self ...The Hill - Politics -
Mom of missing journalist Austin Tice urges U.S. to talk to Syria, bring son home
In a statement Friday commemorating World Press Freedom Day, President Biden mentioned the case of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who went missing in Syria in 2012 while covering the nation's civil war. "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS ...CBS News - Top stories -
CAIR-Chicago responds to pro-Palestinian college protests
Yahoo News - World -
U.S. college protests inspire rise in pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have rocked college campuses in the United States are now gaining traction across the world as protesters join the movement globally.NBC News - Top stories
More from The Hill
-
Kellyanne Conway on early voting: ‘You adapt or you die politically’
Kellyanne Conway, ex-senior adviser to former President Trump and Fox News contributor, said although she doesn’t like early voting, if it’s the new normal, Republicans must adapt or they will “die politically.” Conway joined talk show “Real Time ...The Hill - Politics -
The Quantum revolution may be just around the corner — Congress should act
The promise of quantum computing is massive, but it needs serious support.The Hill - Politics -
Tim Scott: ‘The View’ hosts ‘attacking me again’ for being only Black GOP senator
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) criticized the hosts of “The View” for “attacking” him for being the only Black Republican senator but said the Black GOP has momentum. “I’m never surprised when the ladies at ‘The View’ go at it again,” he said in a video ...The Hill - Politics -
Student protests threaten to overshadow commencements
Pro-Palestinian student activists have one last opportunity to make a big impact before campuses are barren for the summer: commencement. Tens of thousands of families and friends will flock to campuses across the country starting this weekend ...The Hill - Politics -
Senate conservatives pan Greene’s 'horrible idea' to oust Speaker Johnson
Senate conservatives are urging Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to back off her attempt to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), saying it’s a waste of time and Congress has higher priorities ahead of the November election. Greene filed her ...The Hill - Politics