BREAKING: Texas State Troopers Confront Anti-Israel Demonstrators At UT Austin - 'Will Not Allow This Campus To Be Taken'

On Wednesday, anti-Israel demonstrators attempted to occupy the south lawn at the University of Texas at Austin in an effort to replicate the same type of occupations that have occurred on Ivy League campuses across the country in recent weeks. The protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, was quickly contained by dozens of state troops in riot gear.

The Palestine Solidary Committee's chapter at UT Austin took to Instagram to promote their occupation, writing, "In the footsteps of our comrades at Columbia SJP, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Yale, and countless others across the nation, we will be establishing THE POPULAR UNIVERSITY FOR GAZA and demanding our administration divest from death. We will be occupying the space throughout the entire day, so be sure to bring blankets, food and water, face masks, and lots of energy."

In response to the demonstration, the UT Austin administration demanded, in a letter to the organizers, not to go forward with the demonstration and that they could face arrest or expulsion if they continued with their plans. The letter explains that the plans to disrupt the campus "are never allowed and are especially damaging while our students prepare for the end of the semester and final exams. For these reasons, this event may not proceed as planned."

"Simply put, The University of Texas at Austin will not allow this campus to be 'taken' and protesters to derail our mission in ways that groups affiliated with your national organization have accomplished elsewhere," the letter from the Dean of Students explains. "Please be advised that you are not permitted to hold your event on the University campus. Any attempt to do so will subject your organization and its attending members to discipline, including suspension under the Institutional Rules. Individuals not affiliated with the University and attempting to attend this event will be directed to leave campus. Refusal to comply may result in arrest."

AUSTIN, TX: Increased presence of state troopers here at the anti-Israel protests.#txlege #txed pic.twitter.com/NIe04hd0hg

— The Texas Horn (@thetexashorn) April 24, 2024

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