With chants of “Free Palestine,” protesters, many of them students, formed a surprise encampment at the University of Texas on Monday afternoon, setting up tents in the campus’ South Mall.
This is the first escalation by protesters since initially beginning pro-Palestinian rallies on campus Wednesday, when 57 people were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing.
Group of protesters cleared almost three hours later By about 4 p.m., there were no more protesters on the campus’s South Lawn.
UT and law enforcement officers then dismantled the encampment and arrested “several protesters,” the statement said.
“Baseball size rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment,” the statement said.
DPS troopers, UT police officers and Austin police officers could be seen forming a circle around the encampment.
Protesters had created a barrier around the encampment using foldable tables, some of which appeared to be chained together.
Three dispersal orders were sent to the campus community via text message at 1:12, 1:22 and 2:43 p.m., UT spokesperson Brian Davis said.
Protesters, many of them students, set up tents in the South Mall of the University of Texas on Monday afternoon, creating an unexpected encampment while shouting “Free Palestine.”.
A few protestors chanted, “Whose lawn? Our lawn!”.
This marks the first protestor uptick since pro-Palestinian demonstrations started on campus on Wednesday, when 57 people were detained and accused of criminal trespassing. But all those charges were later dropped when the office of Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, who handles misdemeanor cases, said that defense attorneys were correct when they pointed out “deficiencies” in the probable cause arrest affidavits—the forms that police officers fill out to support an arrest.
The unexpected campout occurred soon after UT faculty members held a rally in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion on the west side of the UT Tower at 12:15 p.m. and a silent vigil for scholasticicide at noon to honor the lives lost in Gaza. M.
For several days last week, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered peacefully at UT. On Monday, the encampment was held in solidarity with other protests taking place at several other universities across the country, demanding that these institutions divest from Israeli weapon manufacturers and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following a deadly attack on the Jewish state on October, Israel is said to have bombarded Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 30,000 people. 7. by the militant Palestinian organization Hamas.
After nearly three hours, the protestor group left.
Approximately at 4 p.m. m. , the demonstrators had left the South Lawn of the campus. The last group’s members had either been taken into custody or had asked to leave the circle in order to get help.
There were now at least thirty people behind bars.
— Kepner Lily.
Gov. Greg Abbott intensifies his strict reaction.
Gov. Greg Abbott is remaining steadfast in his opposition to the current UT protest.
“Camping will not be permitted,” Abbott declared at 3:10 p.m. M. respond on X to a post by American-Statesman reporter Tony Plohetski that depicts law enforcement encroaching to clear a potential camp site on university property. Arrests are being made in its place. “.
— John C. Mortitz.
In a statement, UT claims to have received threats via the internet from a group planning a protest.
At 2:30 p.m., UT spokesperson Mike Rosen released a statement. m. the university, which did not identify the group coordinating Monday’s protest, claimed to have received “extensive online threats” from them on Saturday. Local, state, and federal law enforcement have been informed about the threats, according to the report.
According to the statement, protesters on Monday “ignored repeated directives” to follow university regulations and take down their tents from the South Lawn of the campus from UT administration and law enforcement. Students “physically engaged with and verbally assaulted” Office of the Dean of Students staff members who tried to seize them, according to the university.
According to the statement, “several protesters” were taken into custody after UT and law enforcement officials broke up the camp.
The statement stated, “Strategically placed within the encampment, baseball-sized rocks were discovered.”.
The statement claims that most of the demonstrators are not connected to the university.
Tony Plohetski.
At least thirty Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were present during the protest and arrests were made.
By 2:00 p.m., at least five individuals had been taken into custody. m. roughly half an hour after numerous Texas Department of Public Safety troopers outfitted in riot gear showed up at the school.
A circle containing DPS troopers, UT police officers, and Austin police officers was visible surrounding the encampment. Foldable tables, some of which looked to be chained together, were used by protesters to erect a barrier around the encampment. Officers were observed removing the chains and wrestling tables from the circle with bolt cutters.
Lily Kepner, along with Chase Rogers.
At the South Mall on campus, UT police issue a dispersal order.
Shortly after the protest began, the UT Police Department declared that a dispersal order had been issued. “Kindly exit the South Mall area right away. On X, police expressed gratitude for the cooperation.
Three text messages at 1:12, 1:22, and 2:43 p.m. issued dispersal orders to the campus community. m. according to UT spokesman Brian Davis.
Approximately 1:30p.m. me. verbal dispersal order that became effective right away, with police at the encampment stating that anyone found guilty of rioting, obstructing a highway or passageway, or criminal trespassing could face arrest.
UT master’s student Carl Manning-Stott said that the text-messaged orders attracted a far larger crowd than the protest did.
“I felt compelled to go and offer some support after I got three texts from the police saying that everyone on South Lawn needs to disperse or be arrested,” the man texted the Statesman. “I didn’t even know there was a protest going on today.”.
“When they send out messages like that, it’s as if the UTPD is alerting 50,000 people to an impending big scene by way of a flare; come check it out.”. ‘”.
— Bayliss Wagner and Lily Kepner.
