A group of UT Austin students will gather on the Capitol steps Friday to defend free speech rights in response to a new state law that restricts who can protest on campus and when.
The law, which went into effect Sept. 1, bars students at public universities from engaging in “expressive activities” between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. It also restricts students from inviting public speakers to the university, using a device to amplify sound, or using percussion instruments during the last two weeks of a given semester.
UT students said they have already felt the effects of the new law.
Last week, the supervisor of Street Medics Austin, an organization that provides medical help during protests, said she was told the group cannot be on school grounds, per the law. The supervisor, who is not a UT student, said university staff told her she would be charged with trespassing if she didn’t leave.
Street Medics Austin Board President Matthew Blaney said the group will have to provide first aid outside campus boundaries now, which could slow down care.
“Time is so important," he said, "and anything that happens to delay us getting in there and providing support is surely detrimental to their students' well-being."
Several student groups have filed a lawsuit against UT Austin president Jim Davis, UT System Chancellor Dr. John Zerwas and the UT System Board of Regents over the law.
The student groups are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction, preventing the law from being enforced until a final ruling in the case.
KUT News' Olivia Aldridge contributed to this report.
