A group of UT Austin students gathered 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.
Daniel Ramirez, a UT student with Austin Students for a Democratic Society, said he thinks students have a right to invite public speakers on campus.
“We think what this bill serves to do is sever this connection between students and community," he said. "We know that our voices together are very powerful and what the state and the university are doing is hindering that connection."
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 she 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.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Street Medics Austin was told they needed to leave UT campus. Only members not affiliated with the school were asked to leave.
KUT News' Olivia Aldridge contributed to this report.
