AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Only a few dozen demonstrators gathered peacefully on the University of Texas at Austin’s South Lawn for a “teach-in” about the war in Gaza on Tuesday, a stark contrast to the campus chaos that has embroiled the university over the past week as students and outside organizers attempt to protest and establish encampments.
The gathering marked the sixth day since protests against the war in Gaza sparked across campus, with students making a list of demands including financial divestment from Israeli interests and the resignation of UT President Jay Hartzell.
Some students and faculty have criticized the university over the police response to the protests and concerns for free speech rights.
UTPD and DPS have made more than 130 arrests since April 24, when Hartzell called in a heavy presence of DPS riot troopers to quell the Palestine Solidarity Committee’s protest.
University sources say they are prepared for unrest to resume on Wednesday.
Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife said in a statement Tuesday that the university “will continue to call upon the DPS to secure our campus when needed.”
“Any attempt to shut down or disrupt UT operations will not be tolerated,” Eltife said. “While free speech is fundamental to our educational institutions, it is violated when it includes threats to campus safety and security or refusal to comply with institutional policies and law.”
The Palestine Solidarity Committee is calling on the public to demonstrate on the South Lawn starting at noon on Wednesday.
In a statement, UT said 45 of the 79 people arrested on campus during Monday’s protest are not affiliated with the university. Additionally, the university said “guns, buckets of large rocks and bricks” were confiscated from protesters.
The University of Texas learned Tuesday that, of the 79 people arrested on our campus Monday, 45 had no affiliation with UT Austin. These numbers validate our concern that much of the disruption on campus over the past week has been orchestrated by people from outside the University, including groups with ties to escalating protests at other universities around the country. To date, from protesters, weapons have been confiscated in the form of guns, buckets of large rocks, bricks, steel enforced wood planks, mallets, and chains. Staff have been physically assaulted and threatened, and police have been headbutted and hit with horse excrement, while their police cars have had tires slashed with knives. This is calculated, intentional and, we believe, orchestrated, and led by those outside our university community. We will continue to safeguard the free speech and assembly rights of everyone on our campus, while we protect our University and students, who are preparing for their final exams.
UT statement