On Wednesday, police and demonstrators clashed forcefully at the University of Texas at Austin, resulting in at least 20 arrests, including a photojournalist.
Hundreds of students walked out of class to protest the Gaza crisis and demand that the institution divest from companies that manufacture machinery used in Israel’s war efforts, holding signs and chanting.
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Dozens of municipal and state police, including some on horseback and with batons, established a line to prevent protesters from moving through campus. Officers pushed them off the campus grounds, and at one point, individuals fell into the street.
Local reporter Ryan Chandler reports that police issued an audio message to demonstrators, audible across campus: “I command you in the name of the people of the state of Texas to disperse.”
According to Fox 7 Austin, a photographer who was taking pictures of the event was arrested after becoming involved in a scuffle with law enforcement and students. Social media footage shows officers knocking down the journalist. In its own reports, the network confirmed the arrest of its photojournalist.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that university administrators and Governor Greg Abbott requested the detention of at least 20 demonstrators. Abbott stated that the protesters “belonged in jail.”
“Any public college or university in Texas should expel students who participate in hateful, antisemitic protests,” the governor declared in a statement on X.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, police clashed with student demonstrators at the University of Southern California, where authorities engaged in a tug-of-war over tents, removing dozens before retreating.
At California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in northern California, students occupied a building for the third day. The institution closed campus for the weekend and made classes virtual.
Students protesting the Israel-Gaza war are requesting that their schools cut financial ties with Israel and corporations involved in the conflict. Over the last week, various campuses across the United States have arrested dozens of people and charged them with trespassing or disorderly conduct. According to some Jewish students, the protests have devolved into antisemitism, making them fearful of returning to college.
Tensions rose last week when police attempted to evict a large campsite at Columbia, arresting over 100 demonstrators. The action backfired, inspiring a wave of similar encampments and prompting demonstrators at Columbia to reorganize.
On Wednesday, approximately 60 tents remained at the Columbia campsite, which appeared tranquil. Security on campus remained tight, with identification required and police erecting metal barricades.
A spokeswoman denied claims that the institution had threatened to call in the national guard.
“Our goal is to restore order, and if we can do so through dialogue, we will,” said Ben Chang, Columbia’s vice president of communications.
