UT Austin Palestine rally: University releases statement, announces curfew

FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
·3 min read

AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin released a statement and announced a curfew following the dozens of arrests that took place on campus during a Pro-Palestine rally on Wednesday, April 24.

According to the Travis County Sheriff's Office, 57 people were arrested during the demonstration on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

On Thursday, UT Austin said 26 of those arrested were affiliated with the university.

UT Austin's statement can be found below:

"Wednesday’s protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee sought to follow the playbook of the national campaign to paralyze the operations of universities across the country. Like at each of those universities, and confirming our serious concern, there was significant participation by outside groups present on our campus yesterday. This outside group presence is what we’ve seen from the affiliated national organization’s efforts to disrupt and create disorder. Roughly half (26) of the 55 people who violated Institutional Rules and were ultimately arrested were unaffiliated with The University of Texas. Thirteen pro-Palestinian free speech events have taken place at the University largely without incident since October. In contrast, this one in particular expressed an intent to disrupt the campus and directed participants to break Institutional Rules and occupy the University, consistent with national patterns."

According to the university, there have been 13 other pro-Palestine free speech events that have taken place since October 2023. Wednesday's rally was the first to be non-peaceful.

In response to the protests, UT Austin enacted a curfew on all university property. According to the notice sent to students, "everyone must leave the main mall or other university property no later than 10:00 p.m."

The notice previously mentions "those who violate these or any other rule, policy, or law are subject to immediate removal from campus, conduct charges, or arrest."

Students did not seem fazed by the notice. They told FOX 7 Austin it was nothing compared to what they witnessed one day prior.

Click to open this PDF in a new window.

On Thursday, the campus was filled with protesters once again for the second time in a row. The Texas State Employees Union postponed their scheduled, unrelated rally to open the space back up for pro-Palestine protesters.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside UT’s tower as the events that took place one day prior still hung in the air. However, that did not stop protesters from coming back for day two. This included dozens of students and community members who were arrested during the pro-Palestine protest on Wednesday.

"I was jailed with 19 and 20-year-olds who had been brutalized, tackled, wounded from having their faces slammed," one UT Austin staff member said during the protest.

Those at Wedneday's protest say it was peaceful and claim the police force was uncalled for.

"If I can’t protest on a college campus, what is this country? Are we back in the 50s?," said a protester.

That protester told FOX 7 Austin what happened the day prior fueled him to come back, and clearly he was not alone.

"I’m not going to lie down and take this. This is a university that I help fund. I'm not going to be intimidated by police because of my free speech rights to this atrocity," he said.

However, pro-Israel protesters had a different view of events and joined in a counterprotest on the outskirts of the free Palestine protest. One pro-Israel protester said she was harassed and had all her signs stolen. She claims the protest was far from peaceful.

Local politicians like Congressman Greg Casar and Austin Council Member Zo Qadri joined the protest, calling for UT students to continue in their right to protest.

Mayor of Austin Kirk Watson also joined in on social media.

Thursday’s protest not only called for Palestine's freedom, but also the resignation of UT Austin President Jay Hartzell after his response to what happened on campus.

"Jay Hartzel has lost all trust. I am disgusted," said a protester.

Hundreds of students walked out of class on Wednesday, April 24 to rally for Palestine and attempt to occupy the South Lawn on campus.

The students gathered on the South Lawn and set up tents while chanting "Free Free Palestine" and other slogans, including ones aimed at the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and even Austin police.

Protesters called for a ceasefire between the Israeli forces and Hamas, as well as an end to what they call the occupation of Palestine.

MORE STORIES:

On Thursday, the Travis County attorney dropped criminal charges against some of the protesters arrested during the rally.

The county attorney's office says it received 46 cases Wednesday and throughout the evening.