Despite the tension of the past week, the atmosphere was calm Sunday at a pro-Palestinian protest on the UT Austin campus.
University employees stood near barricades, directing people to the lawn where a crowd of about 300 was energized, chanting “Free Palestine” and blowing bubbles. A drumline entertained the protesters.
"I'm here today because I oppose the obliteration of the Palestinian people that is occurring right now with the support of weapons and munitions that are being funded by universities such as this one," said Roger Reeves, a UT alum who teaches creative writing at the university. "I'm a Longhorn. I bleed orange through and through."
About 50 law enforcement officers stood nearby, preparing for a large crowd there to demand the university divest from companies that support Israel and calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
Speakers said they wanted the event to be peaceful. They warned demonstrators not to engage with police or others seeking to antagonize them. They recited a number for legal counsel in case anyone got arrested.
"We believe that youth have an important role to play in our struggle, and to take action in our struggle," Lenna Nasr, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, told KUT. "We believe in confronting Zionism wherever we find it and for the full liberation of Palestine.”
Meanwhile, about a mile away at the Capitol, Shalom Austin held a walk to support Jewish students and denounce antisemitism.
Medics near the UT Tower passed out water and masks. They said it can be tricky for EMS to get onto campus, so they were ready to help people if needed before handing over the reins to EMS.
Life continued as usual around the South Lawn. People took graduation photos, a family played catch and tourists stood by observing the demonstration.
After most of the crowd had dispersed around 2 p.m., more than a dozen people remained on the lawn, including Ammer Qaddumi, who was arrested at the student protest April 24.
"For the last seven months we as Palestinian students have experienced UT apathy toward us," said Qaddumi, a member of the now-suspended Palestine Solidarity Committee. "In the last two weeks we saw what UT's true stance toward us is and it is one ... of antagonism.”
He added: “We as students – not just Palestinian students but as students collectively – cannot stand for this suppression of free speech."
UT's hardline response to the protests on campus – calling in state and local police – has been divisive. So far, nearly 140 arrests have been made – mostly for criminal trespass, a misdemeanor charge.
Hundreds of UT faculty and staff have called for a vote of no-confidence in President Jay Hartzell. In an editorial Friday in the Houston Chronicle, Hartzell defended the school's response, saying student organizers refused to negotiate with administration “at every step.”
UT's administration said demonstrators carried weapons – including guns and chains – and were largely not affiliated with UT. No assault or weapons charges have been filed in Travis County against protesters, however, and a KUT analysis of arrests found more than half of those arrested either attended or currently attend UT.
I’m at @UTAustin with @LuzMorenoLozano to cover a protest this afternoon. Looks like people are preparing for large crowds.
— Maya Fawaz (@mayagfawaz) May 5, 2024
Drones are buzzing overhead. There are about 50 officers and a dozen medics around the tower and South Lawn.
Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/lFU98sq9TO
Mose Buchele contributed to this report.
KUT journalists are employees of the University of Texas, but UT has no editorial control over their reporting.
