Riot police drag away protesters at University of Texas as Gaza tensions flare
State troopers in riot gear moved on Monday afternoon to clear out students attempting to occupy a quad at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dozens of protesters were arrested on site, escalating tensions that began on Wednesday when the pro-Palestinaian protest movement sought to establish a camp on the South Mall, immediately below the looming UT Tower, which houses campus administration.
UT Austin President Jay Hartzell has taken a notably hardline position toward the protests, which have erupted on campuses across the country, spurring a backlash among hundreds of faculty who have moved to hold a no-confidence vote seeking his removal.
Dozens of protesters were arrested by state police on Wednesday. Thursday featured renewed protests — but no occupation, minimal police and no arrests.
But on Monday, tensions flared once again after students moved quietly and without warning to university administration to set up a small protest camp in the shadow of the Tower.
Protesters brought tents and umbrellas to shield themselves from the suffocating heat, and other students surrounded the encampment and linked arms to keep police back.
State troopers arrived early in the afternoon, and by 3 p.m. a line of police with face shields, body armor and billy clubs stood in a circle around the slowly-shrinking encampment, as other officers — including university and city police — slowly pulled or cajoled protesters out of the camp.
With temperatures nearing 90 degrees, sweat-stained police officers negotiated with students sitting or lying prone on the grass, dragging off those who would not leave willingly.
Every time a student was grabbed — many of them going limp, so that two or three officers were needed to remove them — hundreds of students surrounding the small encampment erupted in shouts of "Let them go! Let them go!" and "We are peaceful! You are violent" and, simply, "Shame."
But the dominant shout, as police dragged away student protesters one by one, was "Off our campus! Off our campus!" and "We don't see a riot here! Why are you in riot gear?"
Protest leaders are pressuring the administration to divest from arms manufacturers and Israeli companies.
But Hartzell's decision to call Texas state police onto campus last week opened another axis of controversy — forcing a debate over whether campus administration should enlist law enforcement to quash student speech or dislodge a student occupation.
On Monday, 539 faculty members wrote that Hartzell "needlessly put students, staff and faculty in danger. Dozens of students were arrested for assembling peacefully on their own campus."
57 people were arrested at last Wednesday's protest, but city prosecutors dropped all charges, citing lack of probable cause.
Hartzell, the faculty wrote, "has shown himself to be unresponsive to urgent faculty, staff, and student concerns. He has violated our trust."
Faculty announced intentions to hold a no-confidence vote, which could potentially lead to Hartzell's removal.
The campus protests — and the faculty letter — dovetailed with another flash point in Texas state politics: the state government campaign against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
Earlier this month, staff wrote in their letter, Hartzell "capitulated to political pressure in shutting down" the university DEI office, despite himself arguing that the office was in compliance with state law.
"At least forty staff — predominantly women and people of color — were fired after working hard to comply with SB 17 at the President's request," the faculty wrote.
The mood on Monday was jagged and tense. Protesters chanted "[expletive] you, fascists" and "APD, KKK, IDF you're all the same."
One Black student addressed one of the few Black DPS officers. "As a black man why are you here," she asked, as he turned away. "You think they care about us?"
Beyond some profane chants and heckling, The Hill didn't witness any violence from the demonstrators.
At one point, officers stood back so volunteer medics could run water and Gatorade to a student who appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion.
But in a statement to the public, the university accused the students of coming prepared to fight — and said that many were not students at all.
"Baseball size rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment," the university administration wrote.
The university communique noted further that "the majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university. On Saturday, the University received extensive online threats from a group organizing today’s protest,” they added.
While The Hill could not confirm this claim, those arrested appeared to be of college age or in their twenties. Protest organizers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement Monday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) — who has faced his own backlash from libertarians over Wednesday's arrests — told Texans that "No encampments will be allowed”
"Instead, arrests are being made.”
One state trooper sought to explain to students why the arrests had happened. “The University said we were having a protesting issue — come help us take care of it.”
“If we escalate, we get in trouble,” he said. “That's what y'all don't see.”
Another officer told a student that this encampment had been removed, while other protests had been allowed, because it was an attempted occupation — and one run by outside groups.
“That's bullshit. There are students in there I knew,” the student said.
“You have to follow the money,” the officer said.
“I will,” the student said. “Just like the money at this university is tied in with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin."
By 4 p.m., DPS officers surrounded an empty field of crushed pizza boxes, trash bags, and water bottles, as UT maintenance workers dragged away the ruined tents.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” a woman said, walking by with her middle finger raised.
After the dust settled on the day, a number of the protesters remained at the would-be encampment site, cleaning up trash that was left behind.
Date: |
Filter
-
Police arrest six student protesters at University of Pennsylvania
Pro-Palestinian students were attempting to take over a university hall to protest school’s refusal to negotiate in ‘good faith’. More than a dozen pro-Palestinian activists, including six students at the University of Pennsylvania, were arrested ...The Guardian - World -
Police clear protest encampment over war in Gaza at UC Irvine
Police have cleared a lecture hall at the University of California-Irvine after hundreds of protesters occupied the building for several hours Wednesday. Officers dismantled an encampment and barricades while detaining some of the protesters. CBS ...CBS News - Top stories -
Police: Officer dragged trying to stop Scheffler
The police officer who tried to stop Scottie Scheffler from entering Valhalla Golf Club on Friday morning was dragged to the ground and suffered "pain, swelling and abrasions" to his left wrist and knee after the car accelerated, per the incident ...ESPN - Sports -
Hezbollah introduces new weapons and tactics against Israel as war in Gaza drags on
Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group is introducing new tactics and weapons against Israel as the war in Gaza drags on and Israeli troops enter parts of the southern city of RafahABC News - World - Israel -
Further riots in France's New Caledonia, second police officer killed
Yahoo News - World -
Protesters at University of Chicago Take Over Institute of Politics Building
Heidi Heitkamp was in her office at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics when protesters occupied the building.The New York Times - Top stories -
At Chaotic Rally in Brooklyn, Police Violently Confront Protesters
Officers were filmed punching several people at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bay Ridge.The New York Times - Top stories -
Did colleges give away the store in deals with student protesters?
Colleges that used police force to end their recent on-campus student protests are facing criticism for their handling of the situation, but so are the small handful that cut deals to end the demonstrations. The few universities that successfully ...The Hill - Politics -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Pardons Man Who Killed BLM Protester
Daniel Perry, a former Army sergeant, was sentenced to 25 years in prison last year for killing Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old Black Lives Matter protester and Air Force veteran.The Wall Street Journal - World -
Texas governor pardons Daniel Perry, convicted of killing protester in 2020
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued his pardon after the unanimous recommendation by the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles.CBS News - Top stories
More from The Hill
-
Trump campaign says it will sue filmmakers behind 'The Apprentice' movie for including 'blatantly false assertions'
Former President Trump's reelection campaign plans to sue the filmmakers behind the new biopic film, "The Apprentice," which follows the former president's early years in the real estate business, for including what it calls "blatantly false ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Researchers studying 'doomsday glacier' make worrying discovery
Antarctica's "doomsday glacier," referred to as such for its potential to dramatically raise global sea levels, is melting faster than we thought thanks to warmer sea water passing below it, according to a new study.The Hill - Politics -
GOP lawmaker on Feds, UFOs: 'Give us the information. Let us decide'
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) is calling on federal government leaders to declassify all documents related to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), arguing federal agencies must be transparent if they are going to be funding millions of dollars. ...The Hill - Politics -
Biden speaks with Johnson and McConnell to push for border bill
President Biden on Monday talked with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the White House pushes for a vote on a bipartisan border security bill in the Senate. The White House in a statement said ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Almost 40 percent of South Dakotans say Noem shooting dog was justified
Nearly 40 percent of South Dakota residents said Gov. Kristi Noem's (R) shooting of her dog was justified after the governor faced backlash over sharing the story in her new memoir, according to a new poll. About 38 percent of South Dakotans ...The Hill - Politics