UTA lecturer arrested putting up tent at pro-Palestine student encampment, police say

A University of Texas at Arlington lecturer was arrested Thursday while setting up tents at a pro-Palestine student encampment on campus, according to Arlington police and the UTA Progressive Student Union.

Undergraduate advisor and lecturer Charles Hermes was arrested by UTA police and was booked into the Arlington City Jail on a charge of criminal trespassing, Arlington police confirmed.

According to Max Davis, a member of the student union, Hermes had assembled a small pop-up tent and was trying to pitch a when about five or six officers approached the lecturer.

Officers handcuffed Davis and confiscated the tent and the shelter.

“It’s a shame to see how they’re treating their own faculty, not even their students,” said Michael Anderson, president of the student union.

UTA officials did not immediately respond to the Star-Telegram’s request for comment.

Anderson says UTA’s no-camping policy, implemented on April 24, is “draconian” against students as it prohibits sleeping on campus grounds from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The policy went into effect the same day about 150 UTA student protesters gathered outside of UTA’s Central Library.

“It’s a targeted attack on students and student organizers, as well as now we’re seeing with faculty,” said Anderson. “We think that it’s ridiculous and it’s not going to stand as a policy.”

The arrest comes after students at universities across the country, including the University of Texas at Dallas and University of North Texas, have partaken in pro-Palestinian protests on campus against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Over 1,000 people participated in the peaceful protest held at UNT Tuesday. Meanwhile, at UT Dallas’ protest, 21 people were arrested Wednesday after authorities dismantled an encampment students set up early that day, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The war started on Oct. 7 when Hamas — Palestinian militants — attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people.