UT Dallas students among Texas students protesting Israel-Hamas war this week

University of Texas at Dallas students protested on campus Tuesday for several hours, demanding that the campus president meet their request.

UTD students were protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and demanded that the university pull investments from companies that contribute weapons to the war.

Here’s what we know about the UTD student-led protests.

Why are UTD students protesting on campus?

According to the UTD student newspaper, The Mercury, UTD Student Government passed a resolution calling on UTD to divest funds from five weapon-manufacturing companies on April 4 as a push against militarism and for corporate responsibility.

Those companies include Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics.

Noor Saleh, a third-year student, said his university should pull away from weapons manufacturers.

“[They] are producing the jets, the missiles and the bombs that are being used in Gaza right now,” he said to The Dallas Morning News.

Students also held a sit-in along the hallway leading to the school president’s office late into Tuesday. The sit-in was about seven hours long, according to The Mercury. Student organizers announced UTD President Richard Benson agreed to meet with them and discuss the concerns of protesting students.

Scenes from protests at UT Dallas

UT Dallas students protested Israel-Palestinian conflict last year

Since the beginning of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in the fall of 2023, many UT Dallas students have protested, most not in favor of the war.

On campus, students could see the “spirit rocks” painted with Palestinian flag colors with the words “FREE PALESTINE” written.

UTD administration had removed the large stones on campus.

The university sent a campus newsletter last semester addressing the removal of the stones and their reasoning.

“When three large rocks were placed near the UT Dallas Activity Center in 2008, the plan was for them to be painted in a manner that promoted school activities and events and to grow school spirit. Students have used the rocks to support such things as homecoming, new student orientation, athletic activities and graduation,” the university said.

“For several weeks, messages on the rocks have been inconsistent with their original purpose and guidelines. After careful consideration, the rocks have been removed. The spirit rocks were not intended to be a display for extended political discourse, and because painted messages have been negatively impacting people on and off campus, our best solution was to remove them.”

No word when the University will return the stones.

More US colleges and universities participate in anti-war protests

• Protesters at Columbia University, the epicenter of demonstrations that began last week, said they won’t disperse until the school agrees to cut ties with Israeli universities and commits to divesting funds from Israel-linked entities, among other demands.

• More than 100 people were arrested, and four police officers were injured Wednesday at Emerson College in Boston during a pro-Palestinian protest.

• About 150 protesters gathered outside of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Central Library to protest the ongoing Israel war in Gaza and to support nationwide protests at college campuses.

• More than 50 arrests were made at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas on Wednesday, and professors joined students for another walkout on Thursday.

• Nearly 100 people were arrested at the University of Southern California this week.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT Dallas students among Texas college students protesting this week