Greg Abbott Issues New Warning to Pro-Palestinian Protesters

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a new warning to pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin on Monday.

College students in recent weeks have been at the forefront of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests since the Israel-Hamas war began. On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, led its deadliest attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest airstrikes against Gaza. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, while more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, per the Gaza Health Ministry, according to the Associated Press.

Protesters have also called for a lasting ceasefire amid the rising death toll in Gaza, particularly among civilians.

On Monday, protesters gathered at UT Austin's campus to set up an encampment in protest of the ongoing war and demand that the college divest from businesses affiliated with Israel as it follows similar protests that have occurred at Columbia University in New York City and elsewhere. However, the protesters were met with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers for the second time in five days after last week's protest prompted a similar response.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Abbott shared a warning to protesters on Monday where he wrote: "No encampments will be allowed. Instead, arrests are being made."

Newsweek has reached out to Abbott's office and the Texas DPS via email for comment.

While it's unclear how many protesters have been arrested at UT's campus on Monday, Austin American-Statesman higher education reporter Lily Kepner took to X to share that at least 20 people have been arrested.

"Arrests from the circle keep increasing. More than 20 total since beginning, at least," she wrote as she shared videos of the protest.

According to a statement from UT Austin, the protesters were met with local law enforcement after protesters ignored administrative attempts to remove the tents from the university's South Lawn.

"After protesters ignored repeated directives from both the administration and law enforcement officers to comply with Institutional Rules and remove tents assembled on the University's South Lawn, then physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them, UT and partner law enforcement agencies dismantled an encampment and arrested several protesters," UT Austin said in a statement. "The university will continue to support the free speech and assembly rights of our community while also enforcing its Institutional Rules."

The UT Austin Police Department also issued a dispersal order Monday afternoon, telling protesters that their conduct violated multiple sections of Texas' Penal Code and that they would be arrested if they didn't disperse.

Monday's protest comes after large crowds gathered at the UT Austin campus on Wednesday as dozens of local and state police were seen arriving at the campus and blocking the march. At least 57 people, including one journalist, were arrested for criminal trespassing. However, all of those charges were dropped.

Abbott has since come under fire for his response to the protest, including sending in Texas' DPS. A Texas DPS spokesperson previously told Newsweek that it responded to Wednesday's protest at the direction of Abbott "in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass."

In a statement emailed to Newsweek, Texas DPS reiterated its effort to assist UT Police with maintaining peace, adding that it provided support with Monday's protest.

"Over the last few days, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has remained on standby in order to assist the University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) with maintaining the peace on the UT Austin campus," a Texas DPS spokesperson said. "Today, DPS personnel provided support with the on-campus protest as requested. There were no arrests made by DPS personnel."

Update 4/30/24, 9:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a Texas DPS spokesperson.