Of the 79 people arrested Monday, 45 of them had “no affiliation with UT Austin,” a university statement noted.
Pro-Palestinian protesters link arms at an encampment to call attention to the Israel-Hamas war and condemn the University of Texas at Austin's relationship with defense companies on the campus Monday, April 29, 2024, in Austin, Texas. A university statement Wednesday stated 79 people were arrested, and 45 of them had “no affiliation with UT Austin.” It’s not clear what charges they’re facing.
Officials say weapons, including guns, buckets of large rocks, bricks, steel-enforced wood planks, mallets and chains, have been confiscated from protesters. Officials allege that 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.”
Officials believe these actions are orchestrated and led by people outside the university. They noted in the statement they 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.”
Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System’s Board of Regents, said in his own statement Wednesday that “any attempt to shut down or disrupt UT operations will not be tolerated.” He said free speech is violated when it includes threats to campus safety and security “or refusal to comply with institutional policies and laws.”Eltife said he has been working with UT Austin President Jay Hartzell and that officials will not “acquiesce” on decisions to protect the campus community.
Education Education Latest News, Education Education Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: KHOU - 🏆 330. / 59 Read more »
Source: KPBSnews - 🏆 240. / 63 Read more »
Source: NPR - 🏆 96. / 63 Read more »