Protesters who returned to the University of Texas at Austin on Monday were greeted by dozens of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear. At least 43 protesters were arrested as police and campus security used pepper spray and flash-bang charges on the crowd.
The Republican governor, Greg Abbott, on social media reposted video of troopers arriving on the 50,000-student campus. “No encampments will be allowed. Instead, arrests are being made,” Abbott posted.
Students began to gather on the university’s south lawn Monday afternoon, chanting, “Free Palestine!” and “Whose lawn? Our lawn!” as they set up tents.
After news of the arrests broke, videos popped up on social media of protesters being sprayed with pepper spray as police were pushing them off the road. The defense attorney George Lobb said Texas state troopers used the pepper spray and flash-bang charges in making 43 arrests.
Police have started pepper spraying protesters pic.twitter.com/Pr5vBfVFES
— Audrey McGlinchy (@AKMcGlinchy) April 29, 2024
Video posted on social media showed police pulling individual students from a gathering on a grassy area where demonstrators sat and locked arms, some of them shouting, “Let them go!” State troopers in riot gear stood guard behind the uniformed police.
Last week, hundreds of police – including some on horseback and holding batons – pushed into protesters at the university, sending some tumbling into the street. Officers made the arrests at the behest of the university and Abbott, according to the state public safety department.
In New York, where the Columbia University campus has become the center of nationwide protests, activists defied the 2pm deadline to respond to the ultimatum with chants, clapping and drumming from the encampment of more than 300 people.
No officials appeared to enter the encampment, with at least 120 tents staying up as the deadline passed. Hundreds of protesters marched around the quad, weaving around piles of temporary flooring and green carpeting meant for graduation ceremonies.
A handful of counter-demonstrators waved Israeli flags, and one held a sign reading, “Where are the anti-Hamas chants?”
In a statement, protest organizers accused the university of a “violent escalation” and declared a readiness to intensify their actions in response.
“Today’s threat comes after days of fruitless negotiations in which the university refused to seriously consider our demands for divestment, financial transparency and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined in the movement for Palestinian liberation,” the statement added.
Many students are demanding their universities cut financial ties with Israel. The number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000. The protests have even spread to Europe, with French police removing dozens of students from the Sorbonne university after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the main courtyard.
College classes are wrapping up for the semester, and campuses are preparing for graduation ceremonies, giving schools an extra incentive to clear encampments. The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony.
But students have dug in their heels at some high-profile universities, with standoffs also continuing at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others.
Protesters at Yale set up a new camp with dozens of tents Sunday, nearly a week after police arrested nearly 50 and cleared a similar one nearby. They were notified by a Yale official that they could face discipline, including suspension, and possible arrest if they continued.
Yale said in a statement on Monday that although it supports peaceful protests and freedom of speech, it does not tolerate policy violations such as the encampment. School officials said that the protest is near residential colleges where many students are studying for final exams, and that permission must be granted for groups to hold events and put up structures on campus.
Columbia’s handling of the protests has prompted federal complaints.
A class-action lawsuit on behalf of Jewish students alleges a breach of contract by Columbia, claiming the university failed to maintain a safe learning environment, despite policies and promises. It also challenges the move away from in-person classes and seeks quick court action requiring Columbia to provide security for the students.
Meanwhile, a legal group representing pro-Palestinian students is urging the US Department of Education’s civil rights office to investigate Columbia’s compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for how they have been treated.
A university spokesperson declined to comment on the complaints.
