AUSTIN (KXAN) — Protestors are expected to gather again at the University of Texas Austin campus on Sunday afternoon in a demonstration against the Israel-Hamas war, according to Austin’s Palestine Solidarity Committee organizers.
UT Austin demonstrators are demanding that the University of Texas divest from weapons manufacturing companies selling arms to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and that University of Texas President Jay Hartzell resign.
Sunday’s protest will be the latest in more than a week’s worth of protests. It comes after more than a hundred arrests of protestors for criminal trespassing, most of which have been dropped by prosecutors. However, the Fox 7 Austin photojournalist, who was arrested while live-streaming the demonstrations, is still facing misdemeanor assault and interference charges.
The campus demonstrations and subsequent reactions from the university leadership have ignited diverse opinions, sparking a heated debate about the boundaries of free speech on college campuses and the role of university leadership in managing protests.
Critics of the campus demonstrations claim some protestors are engaging in antisemitic behavior. The U.S. House passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act on Wednesday, which, if passed, would codify the definition of antisemitism established by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances. Opponents of the bill say it violates protesters’ constitutional rights and are concerned that criticism of the Israeli government could be considered antisemitic.
Earlier this week, more than 600 UT Austin faculty members signed a letter of no-confidence in Hartzell after he requested the Texas Department of Public Safety to come on campus and assist the university’s police department. Meanwhile, 36 UT alumni — including former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — signed a letter thanking Hartzell for “maintaining a safe environment” amid what they described as “disruptive demonstrations.”
Last week, Hartzell published an opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle in which he answered criticism of Texas DPS officers being on campus during protests.
“This is a fair question with a clear answer: They were protecting the safety of our campus community by assisting the University of Texas Police Department,” he wrote. “Our police department is outstanding, but its size is limited.”