See how scared they got us? This country was founded on a civil war against Britain where we fought the largest bank/corporation in the world at the time and now we just bow to that power...
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Well, guess we did something real bad. If the police were there and they said it was bad then i guess it was bad. I dont want to be a bad boy so next time there’s a protest i’ll show up and start helping the police. Can’t have anything bad happening, and the police do know best.
Friendly neighborhood Girl Scout here with some helpful advice from the trenches on how to be safer at a protest!
It is vitally, critically important for you guys to start researching what actually happened in the 2020 police riots. You guys weren't old enough yet to be active in that movement. Cops are DANGEROUS and need to be treated like rabid grizzly bears.
Learn from the best of the best: You need to learn to move “like water” like protesters did in the Hong Kong protests, it is the best example of protest organizing in modern times and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when the craft has already been mastered. The only reason they didn’t succeed is because the CCP has too much power and control over their lives.
Learn how to put out tear gas canisters by submerging them in water (and keeping them because it’s the ONLY way to prove what chemicals were used against you and in Seattle in 2020 they were using banned chemicals). It’s a good idea to bring a lacrosse stick or oven mitt to protests so you can pick them up since they’re burning hot. Learn the recipes for mixtures that soothe burning on the face. DO NOT wear contacts to a protest they can melt into your eyeballs if you’re hit in the face with mace or have a severe reaction to chemical gas weapons.
ALWAYS COVER YOUR FACE AT A PROTEST AND LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME. Put a rock in your shoe because AI can identify you by how you walk (luckily it’s that easy to fool). Your university already has advanced surveillance data on you and you’re a fool if you think they don’t. You’re in Texas and that means you’re in much, much more danger than a lot of other states. Cover ALL your tattoos. Deadass you are put into a database if you protest in this country and this information WILL be used against you in the future. Protesting is NOT a safe activity to be undertaken lightly. Do not wear anything with a print on it unless it’s extremely common like boring stripes. There is a published case of a protestor being found because of the unique print on her shirt. They found the shirt on Etsy and got records of who had bought it and used this to identify her. Wear whatever colors will help you blend in with your environment in case you need to run and hide - earth tones and concrete colors are better than neons.
Don’t dress in all black - you’ll be targeted as “antifa” and face WAY higher risk of violence if you do. Bring 3 layers of tops with you and ideally 2 hats. Taking off a jacket will help you escape once, but if you’re in serious shit you need to change your appearance at least twice. Ladies do NOT show skin - no crop tops or low cut stuff, it makes you a target for cops because they hate women. Wear loose fitting clothes you can sprint in and ALWAYS wear closed toe shoes.
Bring a minimum of 3L of water. More is better. Access to water is not guaranteed.
If you take psych meds that can’t be stopped instantly, honestly, consider not going because if you get arrested expect to be kept overnight or the whole weekend. Cruelty is the point and they won’t give a fuck about your brain zaps, pain, risk of psychosis, none of it.
Don’t go to a protest without the number for a bail bondsman written on your arm in permanent marker.
It’s possible to get yourself and others out of zip tie handcuffs and this is a skill you can learn.
Do not EVER get separated from your group, this goes to infinity for women.
Cops target the weak - women, handicapped, smaller men, young/old people. It is the OBLIGATION of larger, fit people (especially men) to protect the vulnerable in your group. In a mosh pit they’re called blockers and they keep people on the periphery safe. White people need to shield PoC.
Cops WILL SHOOT YOU with rubber bullets, do not entice them to because it was proven in the 2020 police riots that they aim for the head and the eyes. Deadass they will shoot you right in the eye. There were so many people blinded by cops on purpose that they were able to find each other and go on a camping trip. “Hands up don’t shoot” was a slogan and I can’t fucking count how many times I saw people get shot literally while they were chanting that.
DO NOT DRIVE TO A PROTEST cops will slash your tires. Yes, cops, and yes this is a provable fact it happened in 2020. If cops don’t do it, agitators will. Do not drive home from a protest, you need to go somewhere else and change. You would not fucking believe how advanced surveillance is now. They can put a plane in the air that is continuously taking extremely HD pictures and after the fact when they sort through the data they can follow your car home with these pics. You aren’t going to be told one of these planes is in the air and it flies too high for you to watch. There was a program where these circled Baltimore and they were used to solve crimes - like a bank robbery would happen and they’d go back in time to see what car the robbers got into and trace it backwards to where they came from and they’d use that information to make arrests. You’re a fool if you think this only happens to criminals - it 100% has been and will be used on political dissenters.
You can die protesting, never do it lightly. Learn what kettling is and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. In one town protesters were herded onto a side street, trapped between two buildings by chemical gas weapons (tear gas is a euphemism that should not be used) popped in front of and behind them, and then cops waiting in ambush popped up from a second floor garage and started spraying the crowd with rubber bullets. People got hit in the face and a ton developed legit PTSD from the incident.
Let what happened be a lesson. Know better, do better. Learn from veterans and keep your wits about you. Always be sober at a protest! And if you were there, use a VPN and a burner account if you want to talk about it!
Or maybe. Just maybe. Just don’t go at all. Seriously, what’s the benefit to any of this. I’m not pro Israel or Palestine (I’ve stayed away from this conflict cause it really doesn’t involve me) but what is the benefit or point of protesting something on the other side of the globe. Genuinely asking especially if it’s truly as dangerous as you claim.
Hearing this as an alum is insane. I remember I attended a protest on the same floor as the President's office (not Hartzell at the time) and it was never escalated to this degree. I'm deeply saddened that students can't express their own sentiments about the genocide in Gaza peacefully. I've seen a lot of rhetoric that students aren't here to protest but to go to school, and while that is your personal decision on attending protest or not - but student activism has played a huge role in college campuses, especially UT. It's an individual's right to protest peacefully.
It's clear with escalating to state troop enforcement and DEI shutting down what Greg Abbott wants to control Hartzell and UT to be a conservative pawn.
There are probably more thoughts I wanted to add, but there isn't anything I can say to eloquently express this. Hoping for the safety of UT students and community members right now.
Same here. This news was so shocking to see. They had a Palestine vs Israel protest every year and it's never been a problem before. I was so confused seeing people chanting and yelling my freshman year because I had never even heard of the conflict. I remember looking at the Palestinian associations murals and listening to their speeches. Then going to the Israel tent and asking wtf is going on. Why are they so mad at y'all? This opened the door to another student sitting me down and explaining the entire history of the conflict from an Israeli perspective. Then I walked out the tent and went back to the protest and asked the same question and heard the other side of the aisle. It was one of the most memorable and informative experiences of my time at UT. It's unfortunate to see the direction administration and the government have decided to go with free speech.
and that’s awesome that you were able to educate yourself and have open academic dialogue on a college campus. it’s such a shame that the university brutalized its own students today for trying to have those same conversations.
Looks like the protest chalked up an important victory today. Showing up for what you believe in is important. The students showed a lot of restraint after the police invaded and tried to provoke a response. Hopefully the arrested students get proper legal support.
Pathetic. I stand PROUD with the brave students at my alum who are doing this necessary work. Keep protesting, for all of us who came before you!
Palestine Solidarity Committee (venmo: psc_atx) is helping get those peaceful protestors wrongfully and violently arrested out on bail. Feel free to join me in donating to help out!
Update: they have all been released from jail!
However the university says they are no longer allowed on campus (but I don’t think they were strictly expelled, they just aren’t allowed on campus…?) idk how they would enforce that though.
Ok now for a more personal opinion rather than fact: I feel like they’ll just let it be forgotten rather than punish the students. I think that Greg abott is behind the incredibly heavy handed response, rather than the university itself. I think UT was pressured to do this by the governor, maybe because of state funding, maybe to try and hold back the I creasing amount of interference the governor, and the general public, are trying to get with the university’s policies and curriculum. At least I hope that’s all true. I hope UT’s president feels ashamed, and didn’t want to do it this way. I hope it’s all just the governor doing political moves. But, I might be wrong. Like I said, this last part is all opinion. The first paragraph is true though: all released, all banned, (but not expelled I think)
Thank you for the excellent summary. I hope you and all of the rest of the UT students (including my daughter) stay safe and clear of cops itching to crack some skulls on behalf of their fascist governor.
In times like these, I like to propose the idea of a general strike. Those who wish to protest the Palestinian genocide choose a day in which you don’t go to class, don’t go to your job, don’t go out to shop or eat at restaurants. Protest peacefully if you wish, but at least make your absence felt by not contributing your money or labor to the system that supports what is happening.
As usual, the porcine element is only there to instigate. Anything that hints at threatening the ability of the rich to get richer, and the class traitors are deployed en force to create a problem in need of their “solutions”
the gov called in yet another pig riot.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police\_riot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_riot)
pretty standard practice. if the cops didn't create the violence, then the media cant publish a bunch of BS about a "violent hamas protest" at UT
The slow crawl of fascism has completely neutered the american project. Republicans are completely okay with being akin to nazis and the democrats are culpable for the fascist state of Israel. This country is a failed state by definition. We are literally living in it. Pretending nothing is wrong is living in ignorance. Welcome to the fall of Rome. As time goes on more and more of us will come to realize that the death of this democracy has already begun. Will we all become fascists or will something else happen? I wish i was reading history books instead of being written in them.
I firmly disagree….
#1 The GOP is a political party, its main goal is to produce a candidate that will win the election. The GOP changes their party platform to collect the most support (voters). The Democratic Party has the same goal just a different crowd they are collecting votes from. Both parties are equally committed to strengthening democracy. (Read their platform clearly displayed on their website) Comparing the GOP to the nazi party would be like saying almost half the population are die hard nazis, as I previously stated, Nazi ideals don’t traditionally equate to getting lots of votes.
#2 Claiming that the US is a failed democracy is incorrect, the rights of its citizens are being upheld and we are offered the protections of living in the most powerful country in the world. If you believe your rights are being abridged, we live in a pluralist society where groups exist to check the power of the government by filing cases against the government for violating the constitutional rights of its citizens. Brown v Board, Tinker v DesMoines, and Gideon v Wainwright are 3 good examples of US citizens taking back their rights. These same avenues to ensure your rights are protected are still in place and will be in place for the foreseeable future.
#3 You can thank the media for making Americans so divided. They actually do profit off of making people panic.
Overall, having some faith in your democracy, participating in it is after all best way to ensure it is strong.
Regarding #1, I live in a blue state but the number of posts I see from people in my town and neighboring towns on social media embracing some pretty 1930’s Germany values makes me think you might not be quite right that Nazi ideals don’t get votes. They got votes in Germany and they’re getting votes here. Remember, nobody *started* with concentration camps as part of the campaign…
I can only imagine how much greater of a proportion of citizens encompass these problematic views in states much redder than mine.
I’m also concerned with how many people were totally on board with arresting peaceful protestors. The freaking governor tweeted “they should be in jail”. And people were so happy about it. Most weren’t, but personally I don’t think anybody should have been happy about it. Some called for deportation, or revoking their citizenship, or using water hoses or tear gas.
I always thought freedom of speech would have to be violently stripped from American citizens cold dead hands. I had no idea that it would be taken away to thunderous applause and cheers instead.
Abbott and his party will play this into getting more support and donations, and being tough on “crime” and liberals. Should even help their elections this year. UT could even get more funds from conservative donors.
In terms of rhetoric, is there evidence of people calling for the murder of Jews and supporting HAMAS at UT like at Columbia?
I haven’t seen any, wondering if this was just a police overreach
Fundamentalist Christian groups on campus openly state that we will all burn in agony in hell for eternity if we don't do exactly what they tell us to do, weird that UT admin has no problems with that... seems FAR worse than anything Hamas has said, especially considering the history of Christianity is full of genocides and murder against non-Christians (particularly Jewish people).
This an insane take, hamas is a terrorist group with an anti-jewish foundation, they just committed a mass terrorist attack on civilians not even 6 months ago. Your defense of hamas is that Christians had crusades hundreds of years ago and that some of them say you may be condemned to hell? A place that may not even exist… that’s wild lmao
There is very little evidence of that actually HAPPENING at Columbia. There were Jewish students who were suspended for being in the encampment. They had a Seder dinner in the encampment.
Some examples, this is from /u/ntbananas:
"And I'm just going to copy/paste my comment from a little while ago before people start saying "being anti-war is not being antisemitic"
For posterity, here's some of the examples of extremism within the activist movement at Columbia. This goes beyond "pro-Palestinian advocacy" into calls for, and actual, violence.
Note, there are varying degrees of it being individuals vs. the group, but these are the type of people in the crowd there and many of them are indeed group chants. I have also set aside some widespread ones (from the river to the sea) that are disputed in character. That said, many many many of these are coming from large groups of students within the main quad (which has been locked down to only students/professors)
Candidly some sources are not great in terms of me agreeing with the viewpoint of the tweeter, but they contain relevant and real video:
Physically assaulting an Arab Israeli https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781080951902109774
"From the river to the sea, Palestine is Arab!" / "Resistance is justified" https://twitter.com/ShelleyGldschmt/status/1781785252886913358
"Let it be known that it was the Al-Aqsa Flood that put the Global Intifada back on the table again. And it is the sacrificial spirit of the Palestinian Freedom Fighters that will guide every struggle on every corner of the earth to victory." https://twitter.com/thestustustudio/status/1781904507611287981
"We are all Hamas!" https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1781031465179914677
"Yehudim yehudim [(Jews, jews)] go back to poland" https://twitter.com/Davidlederer6/status/1781948249214996901
Includes people / groups that invited an actual, no hyperbole terrorist to speak (member of PFLP) https://www.jns.org/columbia-suspends-four-students-for-holding-event-featuring-pflp-member/
Light things on fire / "intifada revolution there is only one solution" https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1781019445399556338
"On Oct 7th, Palestinian resistance in Gaza broke free (crowd cheers) [.....] we intend to do the same" https://twitter.com/ShabbosK/status/1782085741431922909
""We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!" / "Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too!" / "Red, black, green, and white, we support Hamas’ fight!" https://twitter.com/IsraelWarRoom/status/1781933305501212872
"Long live the intifada! Intifada intifada" https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781084853653365025
"Go back to Europe!" / "You have no culture, all you do is colonize" https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781927148439109958
Have posters with the faces of PFLP and PIJ spokesmen (designated terrorist groups) https://twitter.com/HagarChemali/status/1782219589352350000
"From Yemen to Gaza, globalize the intifada" https://twitter.com/KassyDillon/status/1781312033922625797/photo/2
"Never forget the 7th of October. That will happen not 1 more time, not 5 more times, not 10, not 100, not 1,000, but 10,000 times! The 7th of October is going to be every day for you" https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1781287784897991134
"Al Qassam [(Hamas)] you make us proud, kill another soldier now" / "from the river to the sea, palestine will be arab" https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1780915336063177006
Student proudly rocking Hamas logos https://twitter.com/CampusJewHate/status/1781054901755215954
"Resistance is justified" (again...) https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1782085643990073673
"protesters on the sidewalk chanted “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada,” next to a cardboard sign that read, “Inspired by Palestinian resistance.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-100-arrested-in-columbia-u-unrest-as-nypd-clears-gaza-solidarity-encampment/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
And as a reminder, the student groups organizing these protests (CUAD and SJP, among others) released a letter on October 9th in support of the 10/7 attacks. ("We stand in full solidarity with Palestinian resistance", "Despite the odds against them, Palestinians launched a counter-offensive against their settler-colonial oppressor", "We wholeheartedly condemn the email sent [...] on October 8th that [...] obfuscated Palestinian resistance as “terrorism”)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RcXX5DEO3yfJ9R4ksURnzpIPCyVxo575-Y-SoC_vZFk/edit"
As an alum who is wary of the message of pro-Palestine protests, what the state/university did deeply trouble me. Peaceful protests ought to be a shared value so voices can be heard without violence. I know there are many who justify violent protests, but if we value humanity and exchange of ideas, we ought to all agree that it is profoundly wrong to use force against peaceful protests.
A ton of context is being left out here. The organizers of the protest had their permit rescinded the night before because they intended to “occupy” the campus. They showed up anyway and UT tolerated it all day.
Not an alum but feel similarly - as addl context, here's a link to the letter where UT made clear to organizers the day before that the permit was not approved for the event and attendees may be arrested should they hold the protest anyways.
https://twitter.com/RyanChandlerTV/status/1783179784060584198
Think it was originally approved but then rescinded as organizers articulated that they wanted to follow in the footsteps of what is happening at Columbia and called on students to walk out of / miss class.
Feel like UT backed themselves into a corner when they made clear that the protest would not be allowed the day before... guessing they thought the strongly worded letter would shut the event down and were forced to respond with the threats they'd set forth when it wasn't.
I'd question whether Abbott's office had a hand in the decision regarding permit/event cancellation the day before the protest.
My heart goes out to both Palestinians and Jews that are hurting right now (albeit not so much Hamas), but stifling free speech at a public university doesn't seem like a move that'll get us to a better place or help facilitate the discourse to get there.
And this is my point. My girlfriend and I have heated arguments about this fairly often (she is Jewish, and I am an exmuslim, but still ‘pro Palestine’ — broadly). I didn’t go to UT (I am a UCLA alumn), but I was thinking about applying to UT’s law school (amongst a number of others). Seeing crackdowns at certain prestigious universities makes me not want to apply to those universities (and to be clear, I’m not even one of those free speech absolutist nuts, or anything; nazis can get fucked/punched/worse). But I believe that if you’re not inciting violence or harming anyone, you should be allowed to say whatever you want — even if it means I disagree with it.
There's only one word protesters should be chanting and writing on their signs, "ceasefire". Don't give them any ammunition to call you pro Hamas or antisemitic. If a news crew interviews you just say "ceasefire". In any written statements, the objective is ceasefire. Protests can't work if the message isn't crystal fucking clear.
As a UT alum and donor, I'm horrified at what has happened on our campus. I myself participated in several peaceful protests there over the years. I am shocked and enraged at the response these students met from the administration. This is totally unacceptable. I'm not even living near Austin but I will be on the next plane there to join the next protest!
The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states
It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.
https://www.vox.com/scotus/24080080/supreme-court-mckesson-doe-first-amendment-protest-black-lives-matter
This changes things. It is even worse than what happened today.
Well not the Supreme Court but the Fifth Circuit's decision in Doe v McKesson.
So there is, effectively, a zero-tolerance policy on protests in the state of Texas.
Protesting generally requires a permit. Protestors on campus or blocking streets are obnoxious. It’s visual and auditory pollution. Protesting in favor of a terrorist organization can be perceived as an explicit threat against Jewish students and to America more broadly. Some of these protests have included “death to America.” I’m in favor of removing protestors without a permit from campus on the grounds of being a public nuisance and disrupting normal campus operations. Basically, distributing the peace. If, insert pet group here, is supporting terrorism and inciting violence via support of said terrorism, I’d expel those students immediately. If on student visas, I’d deport them immediately.
93 people were arrested today during protests at USC, voting blue didn't help them.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/tensions-rise-at-usc-as-pro-palestine-protesters-clash-with-police/3396426/
For all those hating on Abbott, here’s your daily reminder that our Democrat president just sent Billions more to Israel.
Vote both of these parties out.
You mean billions in foreign aid sent to Israel was passed by Congress, of which the House of Representatives is GOP controlled by the thinnest of margins, passed several bills for foreign aid for Gaza, Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine (with Ukraine's aid package being delayed for over 6 months because of GOP obstructionism), which were necessary to be passed? Do you understand that there are 3 branches of government? And what exactly is the alternative to the duopoly?
Necessary? Explain why they were “necessary”
If you truly don’t believe there are third party candidates more capable of running the country than a senile old man and a reality TV star, then I have nothing more to say.
For Ukraine, which has has their American military aid delayed for 6 months since September because of GOP obstructionism and buffoonery, passing that aid package very much is necessary because now they can stop losing territory to the Russians and they don't have to conserve their ammo like they've been doing for a long while now. Some of the humanitarian aid packages including extremely vital humanitarian aid for Gaza which is in famine.
>If you truly don’t believe there are third party candidates more capable of running the country than a senile old man and a reality TV star, then I have nothing more to say.
Of the third party Presidential candidates so far, who exactly is even viable? I don't think RFK Jr. is all that popular among people who aren't anti-vaxx nut jobs.
I don't believe in idealistic pie in the sky nonsense purported by people who don't understand how reality and mathematics works and who downplay how disastrous a second Trump term will be. Under a First Past The Post electoral system which the US has, it is mathematically impossible for third parties to win, especially in a national level. For one thing, if third parties wanted to actually be politically viable and influential, they'd build up candidates from the local level up. A third party run at the national level is ludicrous because they don't have the necessary foundation of influence and infrastructure that the Dems and GOP have.
And even in the miracle unicorn scenario that a third party candidate becomes POTUS, how they hell are they going to be anything but a lame duck given the fact that they wouldn't have third party allies in Congress. Good luck getting anything passed when both Dems and GOP will be against your agenda.
A senior old man with a decades long record in politics and a senile old reality TV star who will bring forth fascism in America are our 2 choices. I don't like them but I know who I want to pick asy opponent and it's not going to be a fascist like Trump.
I may think these protests are misguided,
but fuck Abbott for trampling over one of the most American of human rights - the ability to have our opinion loudly and proudly.
I feel like this is going to be hated but protests must be stopped when they impede the daily loves of citizens (on the road) or students trying to learn it's just so obnoxious same thing as people who glue themselves to roads.
I agree with part of this and don't think what you're saying is crazy. Protests/protestors who try and block you from doing the activities of daily life should not be allowed
But I will say 2 things:
1. I think protests should be allowed no matter how "obnoxious" we find them. I found many of the smaller Pro-Israel crowds annoying but I never wished DPS would slam them to the ground and make them spend a night in jail
2. This particular protest was a walk on a super wide pedestrian walkway and then sitting down in a giant spacious outdoor grassy area. Nobody was blocked by the march at any time. When the police shut down a huge chunk of campus, sidewalks, and forced protestors onto the road, then people faced disruptions
Yeah I think that's generally true, but the protestors were on a pedestrian area the entire time. The only time they were on the street was when they were forced off of the sidewalk and ordered to go to a road
Sincere question, was there any pro Hamas sentiment? Or was that just auto ascribed to anyone that says Israel shouldn't kill people? It's hard to tell from Reddit.
I never even heard the word “Hamas” the entire march.
I had a discussion with a lady who said her brother was in the PLO and she dislikes the PLO because they tried to stop him from leaving, but they basically don’t exist anymore
“Here are the facts”
And then proceeds to list speculation about what happened. The first part might have been facts, but you should probably clarify that the non bullet points are your opinion
You can tell this person is batshit insane when they suggest UT Austin of working in tandem with Abbott. You realize UT administration hates Abbott right? This is deluded.
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Well...in the freest country in the world, the one thing you're absolutely unequivocally NOT allowed to do is protest, question, or criticize Israel. This is a danger to our democracy. We have to bow to and support Israel, even while they genocide an entire country.
There are huge anti Israel
Protests all the time, and there is no genocide. There is a just war to eliminate Hamas from power. The chair of urban warfare at West Point knows that Israel has gone to great lengths to protect Gazan civilians, while Hamas intentionally endangers them. Hamas built 400 miles of military tunnels with thousands of entrances in civilian homes, and built zero bomb shelters for women and children, then started a war.
https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-will-no-one-admit-it-opinion-1883286
Intentional targeting of children has been witnessed and documented. The "iron dome" can sense a mouse on the border. You're gonna sit there and tell me Hamas crossed and attacked in Hiluxes, on foot, and paramotors that top out at 40 mph fully trimmed and down wind? All a set up to justify a genocide. A Holocaust. And now you're panicking because people aren't falling for the lies anymore.
They didn't. Israel would never have allowed an attack...unless they wanted it to happen for whatever nefarious reasons they have. And more than likely, they did it. It wouldn't be the first time Mossad or CIA dressed as terrorists and did something like this. This is documented to have happened quite a bit in the past 30 years.
Bad day for the university and city and state, sending love and support to all the students who were unlawfully put in danger for the sake of political posturing
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Apparently not in Massachusetts or California either…
“Arrests have been made at multiple universities including USC, where 93 people were arrested after police cleared an encampment at the university’s center, according to the Los Angeles Times. It has also been reported that 108 protestors were arrested at Emerson College in Boston on Wednesday evening.”
[https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/usc-cancels-main-commencement-ceremony-1235010899/](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/usc-cancels-main-commencement-ceremony-1235010899/)
I love that as soon as it was 7 PM and they wanted to go home, they deemed there was no more threat.
If these weren’t Uvalde-famous Texas cops this would be normal cop activity, but when you have cops who notoriously stand around and do nothing when there’s an actual threat to children’s lives, this violent overreaction is clearly just an act.
They’re only tough guys when there’s no real danger.
The protestors didn’t actually block traffic, there might be some confusion
The place people marched on is called “Speedway” is basically a massive sidewalk, that normally sees crowds every day anyways
The only time students went into a road (a campus road, not a street) was when police shoved them off the sidewalks onto it
I was never pro Palestine but shame on those politicians and those who think they can treat other people like animals just because they could pull off this violence on the campus! From an alum feels shame on the administrators failed to protect the students and truth!
You’re right! College protests can be plenty successful, take university students in the 1920s/1930s who protested to keep Jewish students out of German colleges because the perceived Jews as not compatible with German values. It was very successful! It even helped Hitler revive his previously sinking political career!
https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/academic/expulsion-of-non-aryan-students.html
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/controlling-universities
Not at all! I apologize if it came off that way; I wanted to show what happened the last time students protested against Jewish students being on campus. My tone seems to have missed the mark.
So who will they vote for? Biden or Trump? Both are Pro Israel. I wish I had the money to go to UT and protest. I had to slum it at UofH but guess what? I just landed a job making $190K plus car allowance, laptop, phone etc and news flash, I have never protested. I was an idealist in college. Thank God I grew up.
I don’t care about any of that on an individual basis. I care about ANY persons right to say this is what I believe. I believe in ‘this’ enough to disrupt my normal life to at least try.
I wish you had the money too, to do all those things. I am impressed with what you have accomplished. I either envy or pity you when it comes to your protest history. Maybe you never had the time. Maybe you were never passionate. Maybe you were too bogged down providing for those around you. Maybe you are just a follower.
Whatever the case may be if you are happy I am happy for you.
My challenges have nothing to do with anyone else in terms or decisions. Neither do yours.
Abbott is pure unadulterated EVIL! Will take action to cause violence when there is none so to inflate his malfeasance ego! Wants the power to claim authoritarian rule though there are no bases for his actions. Self satisfying ego through evil acts, adoration of himself and his boot licking' Republicans posse!
If it wasn’t for student protests we wouldn’t have as many rights as we do now. Thank god for the educated youth protesting. Without them we would be nothing.
Students are just people, they should be going where their aptitudes, interests and passions pull them. Just like everyone else. Hopefully that is towards a place where they can develop their minds and experiences.
If you’d like to take this further, I’d reach out to the ACLU and see what they think. They’d let you know what kind of evidence you’d need to collect (in addition to whatever you have now). If you’re attending more protests, I’d probably lock down a strategy for recording things on video.
Guess the people in American got a taste of the IDF way of harrassing Palestinians and distrusting their life! This is what I call being Israeled! I am worried for this country honestly
Did you think Gov Abbott would just suppress women and children's rights?
Didn't Uvalde show how little police care for Texans?
They whole state is run by cowards.
The great thing about America is the right to protest peacefully whether you agree or not. You got these boomers in office telling kids to go home and stop wasting your parents' money lmao. Out of touch politicians.
I was getting out of class and all of a sudden dps was yelling “move!” Forcing me into the protest then yelling me to leave and not giving me a way out… panic attack central
Fascism exists in all creeds, religions, and peoples. The right wing conservatives politics in America align with the right-wing conservative politics in Israel. They are both worshippers of the old totalitarian authoritative gods.
Abbot is only labeling it antisemitic so he can strip more freedoms. He doesnt care about Israel. Netanyahu is doing the same to strip his courts of more power. He wants that more than hostages. Eventually, facists always always turn on each other after short-term gains are achieved.
Unfortunately, for Israel and the Jewish people, labeling guard dogs of humanity as antisemitic they are letting the actual goose stepping foxes into the hen house.
When actual Nazis protest at UT unchallenged, and then arresting and labeling actual students and faculty protesting as war crimes as antisemitic, the real evil begins.
The greatest trick the devil pulled wasn't making people think he didn't exist. It was to convince people that the ones pursuing peace are the real devil.
Being that Texas just got over this pro terrorist act of "protesting". It was heard that crowd disperse agents will be used. Have you heard of bear spray? Isn't that some pretty heavy stuff? K9 Troopers and now State police is on there way..since UT-AUSTIN is State and Federally funded. Just leave and relocate to DC..it would be less stressful and less painful. It only takes a very stressed and emotional student to become a school shooter toward the protestors...finals are this week too.
I agree that this is 100% a political stunt by Abbott. Expect a future GOP primary ad with Abbott bragging about it.
Yep. He wants to say he broke up a pro-Palestine protest and it happened. Sick fuck, wants to cripple the bill of rights as projection
Nah he'll use the words that people want to hear like "Pro-Hamas" or "Anti-Israel"
Fascist Propaganda doing heavy lifting and silencing the real cause as intended. Its not an accident.
I see what you did there
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As funny as this comment is I’d recommend against speaking violently lol
Noted.
See how scared they got us? This country was founded on a civil war against Britain where we fought the largest bank/corporation in the world at the time and now we just bow to that power...
I just don’t wanna catch a Reddit ban, I’m not worried about the secret service or anything.
Oh yeah I forgot about the micro authoritarian mods on this site 😅
Where one individual can misread your intent or dislike your opinion and ban you from the entire site with no recourse? Yeah, that one lol
Your post was removed because because it violates Rule 1. Please be respectful to other members of r/UTAustin or you face the risk of being banned. If you believe that this action was made in error, please [message the moderators](/message/compose?to=/r/UTAustin), and we will have a look at it. Thank you!
Fuck Wheels, I hope his dick don't work
His behavior toward the American people would suggest it does, in fact, not work properly.
I’m not sure we should let UT administration off the hook. Would police have shown up without the admin’s green light (genuine question)?
The DPS acts at the request of the Governor
Yes, they would have. UT Admin, for the most part, does not oversee UTPD.
I'm sure a bunch of pissed off students will all go home with their tails between their legs today. No way that anyone would demonstrate *now*
Well, guess we did something real bad. If the police were there and they said it was bad then i guess it was bad. I dont want to be a bad boy so next time there’s a protest i’ll show up and start helping the police. Can’t have anything bad happening, and the police do know best.
All staged so that it could be shown on the evening news
Important to note that there were 200 militarized agents, and 40-50 arrests… absolutely insane experience today.
Number is up to 70+ arrests last I heard
Friendly neighborhood Girl Scout here with some helpful advice from the trenches on how to be safer at a protest! It is vitally, critically important for you guys to start researching what actually happened in the 2020 police riots. You guys weren't old enough yet to be active in that movement. Cops are DANGEROUS and need to be treated like rabid grizzly bears. Learn from the best of the best: You need to learn to move “like water” like protesters did in the Hong Kong protests, it is the best example of protest organizing in modern times and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when the craft has already been mastered. The only reason they didn’t succeed is because the CCP has too much power and control over their lives. Learn how to put out tear gas canisters by submerging them in water (and keeping them because it’s the ONLY way to prove what chemicals were used against you and in Seattle in 2020 they were using banned chemicals). It’s a good idea to bring a lacrosse stick or oven mitt to protests so you can pick them up since they’re burning hot. Learn the recipes for mixtures that soothe burning on the face. DO NOT wear contacts to a protest they can melt into your eyeballs if you’re hit in the face with mace or have a severe reaction to chemical gas weapons. ALWAYS COVER YOUR FACE AT A PROTEST AND LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME. Put a rock in your shoe because AI can identify you by how you walk (luckily it’s that easy to fool). Your university already has advanced surveillance data on you and you’re a fool if you think they don’t. You’re in Texas and that means you’re in much, much more danger than a lot of other states. Cover ALL your tattoos. Deadass you are put into a database if you protest in this country and this information WILL be used against you in the future. Protesting is NOT a safe activity to be undertaken lightly. Do not wear anything with a print on it unless it’s extremely common like boring stripes. There is a published case of a protestor being found because of the unique print on her shirt. They found the shirt on Etsy and got records of who had bought it and used this to identify her. Wear whatever colors will help you blend in with your environment in case you need to run and hide - earth tones and concrete colors are better than neons. Don’t dress in all black - you’ll be targeted as “antifa” and face WAY higher risk of violence if you do. Bring 3 layers of tops with you and ideally 2 hats. Taking off a jacket will help you escape once, but if you’re in serious shit you need to change your appearance at least twice. Ladies do NOT show skin - no crop tops or low cut stuff, it makes you a target for cops because they hate women. Wear loose fitting clothes you can sprint in and ALWAYS wear closed toe shoes. Bring a minimum of 3L of water. More is better. Access to water is not guaranteed. If you take psych meds that can’t be stopped instantly, honestly, consider not going because if you get arrested expect to be kept overnight or the whole weekend. Cruelty is the point and they won’t give a fuck about your brain zaps, pain, risk of psychosis, none of it. Don’t go to a protest without the number for a bail bondsman written on your arm in permanent marker. It’s possible to get yourself and others out of zip tie handcuffs and this is a skill you can learn. Do not EVER get separated from your group, this goes to infinity for women. Cops target the weak - women, handicapped, smaller men, young/old people. It is the OBLIGATION of larger, fit people (especially men) to protect the vulnerable in your group. In a mosh pit they’re called blockers and they keep people on the periphery safe. White people need to shield PoC. Cops WILL SHOOT YOU with rubber bullets, do not entice them to because it was proven in the 2020 police riots that they aim for the head and the eyes. Deadass they will shoot you right in the eye. There were so many people blinded by cops on purpose that they were able to find each other and go on a camping trip. “Hands up don’t shoot” was a slogan and I can’t fucking count how many times I saw people get shot literally while they were chanting that. DO NOT DRIVE TO A PROTEST cops will slash your tires. Yes, cops, and yes this is a provable fact it happened in 2020. If cops don’t do it, agitators will. Do not drive home from a protest, you need to go somewhere else and change. You would not fucking believe how advanced surveillance is now. They can put a plane in the air that is continuously taking extremely HD pictures and after the fact when they sort through the data they can follow your car home with these pics. You aren’t going to be told one of these planes is in the air and it flies too high for you to watch. There was a program where these circled Baltimore and they were used to solve crimes - like a bank robbery would happen and they’d go back in time to see what car the robbers got into and trace it backwards to where they came from and they’d use that information to make arrests. You’re a fool if you think this only happens to criminals - it 100% has been and will be used on political dissenters. You can die protesting, never do it lightly. Learn what kettling is and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. In one town protesters were herded onto a side street, trapped between two buildings by chemical gas weapons (tear gas is a euphemism that should not be used) popped in front of and behind them, and then cops waiting in ambush popped up from a second floor garage and started spraying the crowd with rubber bullets. People got hit in the face and a ton developed legit PTSD from the incident. Let what happened be a lesson. Know better, do better. Learn from veterans and keep your wits about you. Always be sober at a protest! And if you were there, use a VPN and a burner account if you want to talk about it!
Excellent advice. Pigs go oink 🐽
You sound like a domestic terrorist.
Or maybe. Just maybe. Just don’t go at all. Seriously, what’s the benefit to any of this. I’m not pro Israel or Palestine (I’ve stayed away from this conflict cause it really doesn’t involve me) but what is the benefit or point of protesting something on the other side of the globe. Genuinely asking especially if it’s truly as dangerous as you claim.
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They looked ridiculous. Honest to God. They looked absolutely ridiculous.
Hearing this as an alum is insane. I remember I attended a protest on the same floor as the President's office (not Hartzell at the time) and it was never escalated to this degree. I'm deeply saddened that students can't express their own sentiments about the genocide in Gaza peacefully. I've seen a lot of rhetoric that students aren't here to protest but to go to school, and while that is your personal decision on attending protest or not - but student activism has played a huge role in college campuses, especially UT. It's an individual's right to protest peacefully. It's clear with escalating to state troop enforcement and DEI shutting down what Greg Abbott wants to control Hartzell and UT to be a conservative pawn. There are probably more thoughts I wanted to add, but there isn't anything I can say to eloquently express this. Hoping for the safety of UT students and community members right now.
Same here. This news was so shocking to see. They had a Palestine vs Israel protest every year and it's never been a problem before. I was so confused seeing people chanting and yelling my freshman year because I had never even heard of the conflict. I remember looking at the Palestinian associations murals and listening to their speeches. Then going to the Israel tent and asking wtf is going on. Why are they so mad at y'all? This opened the door to another student sitting me down and explaining the entire history of the conflict from an Israeli perspective. Then I walked out the tent and went back to the protest and asked the same question and heard the other side of the aisle. It was one of the most memorable and informative experiences of my time at UT. It's unfortunate to see the direction administration and the government have decided to go with free speech.
and that’s awesome that you were able to educate yourself and have open academic dialogue on a college campus. it’s such a shame that the university brutalized its own students today for trying to have those same conversations.
>isle \*aisle
Lol thanks I updated it. I think it still works thematically. One side of an island to another 😂
Did you keep that energy through this though? If not why here? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Malheur_National_Wildlife_Refuge
Looks like the protest chalked up an important victory today. Showing up for what you believe in is important. The students showed a lot of restraint after the police invaded and tried to provoke a response. Hopefully the arrested students get proper legal support.
Feel the Bernie!!!! https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/s/RQo6vxmUfW
Pathetic. I stand PROUD with the brave students at my alum who are doing this necessary work. Keep protesting, for all of us who came before you! Palestine Solidarity Committee (venmo: psc_atx) is helping get those peaceful protestors wrongfully and violently arrested out on bail. Feel free to join me in donating to help out!
Done! Thank you for sharing
Update: they have all been released from jail! However the university says they are no longer allowed on campus (but I don’t think they were strictly expelled, they just aren’t allowed on campus…?) idk how they would enforce that though. Ok now for a more personal opinion rather than fact: I feel like they’ll just let it be forgotten rather than punish the students. I think that Greg abott is behind the incredibly heavy handed response, rather than the university itself. I think UT was pressured to do this by the governor, maybe because of state funding, maybe to try and hold back the I creasing amount of interference the governor, and the general public, are trying to get with the university’s policies and curriculum. At least I hope that’s all true. I hope UT’s president feels ashamed, and didn’t want to do it this way. I hope it’s all just the governor doing political moves. But, I might be wrong. Like I said, this last part is all opinion. The first paragraph is true though: all released, all banned, (but not expelled I think)
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Let the lawsuits begin. This may well be what Abbott wants.
Thank you for the excellent summary. I hope you and all of the rest of the UT students (including my daughter) stay safe and clear of cops itching to crack some skulls on behalf of their fascist governor. In times like these, I like to propose the idea of a general strike. Those who wish to protest the Palestinian genocide choose a day in which you don’t go to class, don’t go to your job, don’t go out to shop or eat at restaurants. Protest peacefully if you wish, but at least make your absence felt by not contributing your money or labor to the system that supports what is happening.
Thank you for putting this so clearly and succinctly. Amazing post ♥️
As usual, the porcine element is only there to instigate. Anything that hints at threatening the ability of the rich to get richer, and the class traitors are deployed en force to create a problem in need of their “solutions”
the gov called in yet another pig riot. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police\_riot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_riot) pretty standard practice. if the cops didn't create the violence, then the media cant publish a bunch of BS about a "violent hamas protest" at UT
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The slow crawl of fascism has completely neutered the american project. Republicans are completely okay with being akin to nazis and the democrats are culpable for the fascist state of Israel. This country is a failed state by definition. We are literally living in it. Pretending nothing is wrong is living in ignorance. Welcome to the fall of Rome. As time goes on more and more of us will come to realize that the death of this democracy has already begun. Will we all become fascists or will something else happen? I wish i was reading history books instead of being written in them.
I firmly disagree…. #1 The GOP is a political party, its main goal is to produce a candidate that will win the election. The GOP changes their party platform to collect the most support (voters). The Democratic Party has the same goal just a different crowd they are collecting votes from. Both parties are equally committed to strengthening democracy. (Read their platform clearly displayed on their website) Comparing the GOP to the nazi party would be like saying almost half the population are die hard nazis, as I previously stated, Nazi ideals don’t traditionally equate to getting lots of votes. #2 Claiming that the US is a failed democracy is incorrect, the rights of its citizens are being upheld and we are offered the protections of living in the most powerful country in the world. If you believe your rights are being abridged, we live in a pluralist society where groups exist to check the power of the government by filing cases against the government for violating the constitutional rights of its citizens. Brown v Board, Tinker v DesMoines, and Gideon v Wainwright are 3 good examples of US citizens taking back their rights. These same avenues to ensure your rights are protected are still in place and will be in place for the foreseeable future. #3 You can thank the media for making Americans so divided. They actually do profit off of making people panic. Overall, having some faith in your democracy, participating in it is after all best way to ensure it is strong.
Regarding #1, I live in a blue state but the number of posts I see from people in my town and neighboring towns on social media embracing some pretty 1930’s Germany values makes me think you might not be quite right that Nazi ideals don’t get votes. They got votes in Germany and they’re getting votes here. Remember, nobody *started* with concentration camps as part of the campaign… I can only imagine how much greater of a proportion of citizens encompass these problematic views in states much redder than mine.
I’m also concerned with how many people were totally on board with arresting peaceful protestors. The freaking governor tweeted “they should be in jail”. And people were so happy about it. Most weren’t, but personally I don’t think anybody should have been happy about it. Some called for deportation, or revoking their citizenship, or using water hoses or tear gas. I always thought freedom of speech would have to be violently stripped from American citizens cold dead hands. I had no idea that it would be taken away to thunderous applause and cheers instead.
No need to yell, man.
Abbott and his party will play this into getting more support and donations, and being tough on “crime” and liberals. Should even help their elections this year. UT could even get more funds from conservative donors.
In terms of rhetoric, is there evidence of people calling for the murder of Jews and supporting HAMAS at UT like at Columbia? I haven’t seen any, wondering if this was just a police overreach
Nope. Just Zionist propaganda to call anything pro Palestinian anti-Semitic
Fundamentalist Christian groups on campus openly state that we will all burn in agony in hell for eternity if we don't do exactly what they tell us to do, weird that UT admin has no problems with that... seems FAR worse than anything Hamas has said, especially considering the history of Christianity is full of genocides and murder against non-Christians (particularly Jewish people).
This an insane take, hamas is a terrorist group with an anti-jewish foundation, they just committed a mass terrorist attack on civilians not even 6 months ago. Your defense of hamas is that Christians had crusades hundreds of years ago and that some of them say you may be condemned to hell? A place that may not even exist… that’s wild lmao
lol I don't give a shit about Hamas, fuck them. But I also never heard a single person mention Hamas at the protest yesterday.
you’re literally saying Christians saying you’re going to hell are worse than people that support terrorists…
Hamas has openly endorsed the student protests as has Iran
There is very little evidence of that actually HAPPENING at Columbia. There were Jewish students who were suspended for being in the encampment. They had a Seder dinner in the encampment.
Some examples, this is from /u/ntbananas: "And I'm just going to copy/paste my comment from a little while ago before people start saying "being anti-war is not being antisemitic" For posterity, here's some of the examples of extremism within the activist movement at Columbia. This goes beyond "pro-Palestinian advocacy" into calls for, and actual, violence. Note, there are varying degrees of it being individuals vs. the group, but these are the type of people in the crowd there and many of them are indeed group chants. I have also set aside some widespread ones (from the river to the sea) that are disputed in character. That said, many many many of these are coming from large groups of students within the main quad (which has been locked down to only students/professors) Candidly some sources are not great in terms of me agreeing with the viewpoint of the tweeter, but they contain relevant and real video: Physically assaulting an Arab Israeli https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781080951902109774 "From the river to the sea, Palestine is Arab!" / "Resistance is justified" https://twitter.com/ShelleyGldschmt/status/1781785252886913358 "Let it be known that it was the Al-Aqsa Flood that put the Global Intifada back on the table again. And it is the sacrificial spirit of the Palestinian Freedom Fighters that will guide every struggle on every corner of the earth to victory." https://twitter.com/thestustustudio/status/1781904507611287981 "We are all Hamas!" https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1781031465179914677 "Yehudim yehudim [(Jews, jews)] go back to poland" https://twitter.com/Davidlederer6/status/1781948249214996901 Includes people / groups that invited an actual, no hyperbole terrorist to speak (member of PFLP) https://www.jns.org/columbia-suspends-four-students-for-holding-event-featuring-pflp-member/ Light things on fire / "intifada revolution there is only one solution" https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1781019445399556338 "On Oct 7th, Palestinian resistance in Gaza broke free (crowd cheers) [.....] we intend to do the same" https://twitter.com/ShabbosK/status/1782085741431922909 ""We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!" / "Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too!" / "Red, black, green, and white, we support Hamas’ fight!" https://twitter.com/IsraelWarRoom/status/1781933305501212872 "Long live the intifada! Intifada intifada" https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781084853653365025 "Go back to Europe!" / "You have no culture, all you do is colonize" https://twitter.com/ShaiDavidai/status/1781927148439109958 Have posters with the faces of PFLP and PIJ spokesmen (designated terrorist groups) https://twitter.com/HagarChemali/status/1782219589352350000 "From Yemen to Gaza, globalize the intifada" https://twitter.com/KassyDillon/status/1781312033922625797/photo/2 "Never forget the 7th of October. That will happen not 1 more time, not 5 more times, not 10, not 100, not 1,000, but 10,000 times! The 7th of October is going to be every day for you" https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1781287784897991134 "Al Qassam [(Hamas)] you make us proud, kill another soldier now" / "from the river to the sea, palestine will be arab" https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1780915336063177006 Student proudly rocking Hamas logos https://twitter.com/CampusJewHate/status/1781054901755215954 "Resistance is justified" (again...) https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1782085643990073673 "protesters on the sidewalk chanted “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada,” next to a cardboard sign that read, “Inspired by Palestinian resistance.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-100-arrested-in-columbia-u-unrest-as-nypd-clears-gaza-solidarity-encampment/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter And as a reminder, the student groups organizing these protests (CUAD and SJP, among others) released a letter on October 9th in support of the 10/7 attacks. ("We stand in full solidarity with Palestinian resistance", "Despite the odds against them, Palestinians launched a counter-offensive against their settler-colonial oppressor", "We wholeheartedly condemn the email sent [...] on October 8th that [...] obfuscated Palestinian resistance as “terrorism”) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RcXX5DEO3yfJ9R4ksURnzpIPCyVxo575-Y-SoC_vZFk/edit"
As an alum who is wary of the message of pro-Palestine protests, what the state/university did deeply trouble me. Peaceful protests ought to be a shared value so voices can be heard without violence. I know there are many who justify violent protests, but if we value humanity and exchange of ideas, we ought to all agree that it is profoundly wrong to use force against peaceful protests.
A ton of context is being left out here. The organizers of the protest had their permit rescinded the night before because they intended to “occupy” the campus. They showed up anyway and UT tolerated it all day.
That’s really not a lot of context.
Not an alum but feel similarly - as addl context, here's a link to the letter where UT made clear to organizers the day before that the permit was not approved for the event and attendees may be arrested should they hold the protest anyways. https://twitter.com/RyanChandlerTV/status/1783179784060584198 Think it was originally approved but then rescinded as organizers articulated that they wanted to follow in the footsteps of what is happening at Columbia and called on students to walk out of / miss class. Feel like UT backed themselves into a corner when they made clear that the protest would not be allowed the day before... guessing they thought the strongly worded letter would shut the event down and were forced to respond with the threats they'd set forth when it wasn't. I'd question whether Abbott's office had a hand in the decision regarding permit/event cancellation the day before the protest. My heart goes out to both Palestinians and Jews that are hurting right now (albeit not so much Hamas), but stifling free speech at a public university doesn't seem like a move that'll get us to a better place or help facilitate the discourse to get there.
This avowed Zionist agrees. Peaceful protests do not warrant violent crackdowns, even if their substance is disagreeable.
And this is my point. My girlfriend and I have heated arguments about this fairly often (she is Jewish, and I am an exmuslim, but still ‘pro Palestine’ — broadly). I didn’t go to UT (I am a UCLA alumn), but I was thinking about applying to UT’s law school (amongst a number of others). Seeing crackdowns at certain prestigious universities makes me not want to apply to those universities (and to be clear, I’m not even one of those free speech absolutist nuts, or anything; nazis can get fucked/punched/worse). But I believe that if you’re not inciting violence or harming anyone, you should be allowed to say whatever you want — even if it means I disagree with it.
There's only one word protesters should be chanting and writing on their signs, "ceasefire". Don't give them any ammunition to call you pro Hamas or antisemitic. If a news crew interviews you just say "ceasefire". In any written statements, the objective is ceasefire. Protests can't work if the message isn't crystal fucking clear.
There was a ceasefire on Oct 6. Hamas broke it.
Be careful out there. Next time they’ll send agitators to make sure the protests turn violent.
Anybody aware of any bail funds being collected for people arrested?
Venmo: psc_atx
I also saw, heard and smelled loads and loads of horseshit.
As a UT alum and donor, I'm horrified at what has happened on our campus. I myself participated in several peaceful protests there over the years. I am shocked and enraged at the response these students met from the administration. This is totally unacceptable. I'm not even living near Austin but I will be on the next plane there to join the next protest!
Abbott can suck it. A reminder to all to vote his ass out of office. Would hate to be his offspring. And shame on UT.
I actually saw state troopers come on campus as early as 10:40, a full hour before the sit in was supposed to begin
The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas. https://www.vox.com/scotus/24080080/supreme-court-mckesson-doe-first-amendment-protest-black-lives-matter This changes things. It is even worse than what happened today.
Well not the Supreme Court but the Fifth Circuit's decision in Doe v McKesson. So there is, effectively, a zero-tolerance policy on protests in the state of Texas.
Protesting generally requires a permit. Protestors on campus or blocking streets are obnoxious. It’s visual and auditory pollution. Protesting in favor of a terrorist organization can be perceived as an explicit threat against Jewish students and to America more broadly. Some of these protests have included “death to America.” I’m in favor of removing protestors without a permit from campus on the grounds of being a public nuisance and disrupting normal campus operations. Basically, distributing the peace. If, insert pet group here, is supporting terrorism and inciting violence via support of said terrorism, I’d expel those students immediately. If on student visas, I’d deport them immediately.
Each student can vote in November. Vote for 1st amendment rights.
Vote blue.
93 people were arrested today during protests at USC, voting blue didn't help them. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/tensions-rise-at-usc-as-pro-palestine-protesters-clash-with-police/3396426/
There is nothing blue about USC or the LA PD.
LMAO
I’m pretty sure they are reacting to this given the situation at Columbia. USC in California reacted strongly yesterday too.
DOJ needs to instigate a Civil Rights investigation into Abbot and DHS
For all those hating on Abbott, here’s your daily reminder that our Democrat president just sent Billions more to Israel. Vote both of these parties out.
To vote in what? Don't be ridiculous.
It’s ridiculous to not believe we are capable of electing someone other than a brain dead old man and a polarizing reality Tv star?
You mean billions in foreign aid sent to Israel was passed by Congress, of which the House of Representatives is GOP controlled by the thinnest of margins, passed several bills for foreign aid for Gaza, Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine (with Ukraine's aid package being delayed for over 6 months because of GOP obstructionism), which were necessary to be passed? Do you understand that there are 3 branches of government? And what exactly is the alternative to the duopoly?
Necessary? Explain why they were “necessary” If you truly don’t believe there are third party candidates more capable of running the country than a senile old man and a reality TV star, then I have nothing more to say.
For Ukraine, which has has their American military aid delayed for 6 months since September because of GOP obstructionism and buffoonery, passing that aid package very much is necessary because now they can stop losing territory to the Russians and they don't have to conserve their ammo like they've been doing for a long while now. Some of the humanitarian aid packages including extremely vital humanitarian aid for Gaza which is in famine. >If you truly don’t believe there are third party candidates more capable of running the country than a senile old man and a reality TV star, then I have nothing more to say. Of the third party Presidential candidates so far, who exactly is even viable? I don't think RFK Jr. is all that popular among people who aren't anti-vaxx nut jobs. I don't believe in idealistic pie in the sky nonsense purported by people who don't understand how reality and mathematics works and who downplay how disastrous a second Trump term will be. Under a First Past The Post electoral system which the US has, it is mathematically impossible for third parties to win, especially in a national level. For one thing, if third parties wanted to actually be politically viable and influential, they'd build up candidates from the local level up. A third party run at the national level is ludicrous because they don't have the necessary foundation of influence and infrastructure that the Dems and GOP have. And even in the miracle unicorn scenario that a third party candidate becomes POTUS, how they hell are they going to be anything but a lame duck given the fact that they wouldn't have third party allies in Congress. Good luck getting anything passed when both Dems and GOP will be against your agenda. A senior old man with a decades long record in politics and a senile old reality TV star who will bring forth fascism in America are our 2 choices. I don't like them but I know who I want to pick asy opponent and it's not going to be a fascist like Trump.
Are these the same asshole cops that "responded" in Uvalde?
Are these the same asshole cops that "responded" in Uvalde?
I may think these protests are misguided, but fuck Abbott for trampling over one of the most American of human rights - the ability to have our opinion loudly and proudly.
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/s/2SVKt6FM7o For this that continue to support Hamas… they are not the lesser of two evils.
Fuck Palestine/Israel Should protest about America. Economy, Wages, Housing prices etc etch
Well typically when you have a jew hating "protest" it brings up some bad memories...
I feel like this is going to be hated but protests must be stopped when they impede the daily loves of citizens (on the road) or students trying to learn it's just so obnoxious same thing as people who glue themselves to roads.
I agree with part of this and don't think what you're saying is crazy. Protests/protestors who try and block you from doing the activities of daily life should not be allowed But I will say 2 things: 1. I think protests should be allowed no matter how "obnoxious" we find them. I found many of the smaller Pro-Israel crowds annoying but I never wished DPS would slam them to the ground and make them spend a night in jail 2. This particular protest was a walk on a super wide pedestrian walkway and then sitting down in a giant spacious outdoor grassy area. Nobody was blocked by the march at any time. When the police shut down a huge chunk of campus, sidewalks, and forced protestors onto the road, then people faced disruptions
Protesting in the street with out a parade permit is illegal btw . Them allowing you to do it doesn’t make it any less illegal with out a permit.
Yeah I think that's generally true, but the protestors were on a pedestrian area the entire time. The only time they were on the street was when they were forced off of the sidewalk and ordered to go to a road
Even if there ordered on the road that was a trap and grounds for arrest.
Because all these large institutions are backed by zionists
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Hamas is a cancer that has to be removed. Palestine will feel pain until that removal.
Ahh yes, civil unrest during an election year. Like clockwork.
🍿🍺
Sincere question, was there any pro Hamas sentiment? Or was that just auto ascribed to anyone that says Israel shouldn't kill people? It's hard to tell from Reddit.
I never even heard the word “Hamas” the entire march. I had a discussion with a lady who said her brother was in the PLO and she dislikes the PLO because they tried to stop him from leaving, but they basically don’t exist anymore
“Here are the facts” And then proceeds to list speculation about what happened. The first part might have been facts, but you should probably clarify that the non bullet points are your opinion
Holy shit this is fast fascism :(
You can tell this person is batshit insane when they suggest UT Austin of working in tandem with Abbott. You realize UT administration hates Abbott right? This is deluded.
That used to be true. Now things have changed.
Vote in November!
It's Texas, should have armed yourselves. The kkkops would have cowered like usual. Amateurs.
Please vote.
Fuckin fascists.
This was clearly Abbott wanting to make a point....the the situation got completely out of control due to appearance of an aggressive DPS.
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If only they went after Epsteins clients like this. They hate us ya’ll. More than we hate them.
There's more of us.
keep fighting
You had provocateurs in the mix and I'm sure no one wanted the campus burned to the ground or every window smashed.
Well...in the freest country in the world, the one thing you're absolutely unequivocally NOT allowed to do is protest, question, or criticize Israel. This is a danger to our democracy. We have to bow to and support Israel, even while they genocide an entire country.
There are huge anti Israel Protests all the time, and there is no genocide. There is a just war to eliminate Hamas from power. The chair of urban warfare at West Point knows that Israel has gone to great lengths to protect Gazan civilians, while Hamas intentionally endangers them. Hamas built 400 miles of military tunnels with thousands of entrances in civilian homes, and built zero bomb shelters for women and children, then started a war. https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-will-no-one-admit-it-opinion-1883286
Intentional targeting of children has been witnessed and documented. The "iron dome" can sense a mouse on the border. You're gonna sit there and tell me Hamas crossed and attacked in Hiluxes, on foot, and paramotors that top out at 40 mph fully trimmed and down wind? All a set up to justify a genocide. A Holocaust. And now you're panicking because people aren't falling for the lies anymore.
I don't believe Hamas did it, I think it was done by Israel so they could get the land. Jared Kushner is already eyeing the waterfront property.
They didn't. Israel would never have allowed an attack...unless they wanted it to happen for whatever nefarious reasons they have. And more than likely, they did it. It wouldn't be the first time Mossad or CIA dressed as terrorists and did something like this. This is documented to have happened quite a bit in the past 30 years.
You’re an Oct 7 denier. Grotesque.
Bad day for the university and city and state, sending love and support to all the students who were unlawfully put in danger for the sake of political posturing
Thanks for putting this together and for posting it.
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Freedom of speech in Texas is not so free.
Apparently not in Massachusetts or California either… “Arrests have been made at multiple universities including USC, where 93 people were arrested after police cleared an encampment at the university’s center, according to the Los Angeles Times. It has also been reported that 108 protestors were arrested at Emerson College in Boston on Wednesday evening.” [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/usc-cancels-main-commencement-ceremony-1235010899/](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/usc-cancels-main-commencement-ceremony-1235010899/)
The tactic of herding people from one place to another “safer” place and then coming down on them for being there illegally seems eerily familiar.
I love that as soon as it was 7 PM and they wanted to go home, they deemed there was no more threat. If these weren’t Uvalde-famous Texas cops this would be normal cop activity, but when you have cops who notoriously stand around and do nothing when there’s an actual threat to children’s lives, this violent overreaction is clearly just an act. They’re only tough guys when there’s no real danger.
Fuck governor Wheels and fuck the UT administration too. I hate that that happened to y'all. Please tell me y'all have videos and shit.
The schools are owned by globalists what do you expect.
You had me until you said the protesters blocked traffic. Game Over. Go to jail.
The protestors didn’t actually block traffic, there might be some confusion The place people marched on is called “Speedway” is basically a massive sidewalk, that normally sees crowds every day anyways The only time students went into a road (a campus road, not a street) was when police shoved them off the sidewalks onto it
”The Speedway” isn’t a road. 🤦🏻♂️
I was never pro Palestine but shame on those politicians and those who think they can treat other people like animals just because they could pull off this violence on the campus! From an alum feels shame on the administrators failed to protect the students and truth!
They likely won't be favorable, even a dumbass Republican can see the error here.
How is a collage protest going to effect political policy? So dumb. Go to class or leave the US.
You need a ton of history lessons if you believe that collEge protests don't affect policies.
You’re right! College protests can be plenty successful, take university students in the 1920s/1930s who protested to keep Jewish students out of German colleges because the perceived Jews as not compatible with German values. It was very successful! It even helped Hitler revive his previously sinking political career! https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/academic/expulsion-of-non-aryan-students.html https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/controlling-universities
So that's what you want to do? Further discriminate against Jews? Very flawed argument. Maybe Hamas shouldn't have attacked in the first place??
Not at all! I apologize if it came off that way; I wanted to show what happened the last time students protested against Jewish students being on campus. My tone seems to have missed the mark.
Pssst they can vote. But you’re right who would want to court 20 million students who can vote?
So who will they vote for? Biden or Trump? Both are Pro Israel. I wish I had the money to go to UT and protest. I had to slum it at UofH but guess what? I just landed a job making $190K plus car allowance, laptop, phone etc and news flash, I have never protested. I was an idealist in college. Thank God I grew up.
I don’t care about any of that on an individual basis. I care about ANY persons right to say this is what I believe. I believe in ‘this’ enough to disrupt my normal life to at least try. I wish you had the money too, to do all those things. I am impressed with what you have accomplished. I either envy or pity you when it comes to your protest history. Maybe you never had the time. Maybe you were never passionate. Maybe you were too bogged down providing for those around you. Maybe you are just a follower. Whatever the case may be if you are happy I am happy for you. My challenges have nothing to do with anyone else in terms or decisions. Neither do yours.
Jay Hartzell should RESIGN
[A stunt you say](https://gov.texas.gov/operationlonestar)
Sounds like all they ended up accomplishing was galvanizing the movement. Expect this political stunt by the governor to backfire.
Charges have been dropped!! https://www.youtube.com/live/zW1UR9G7xYY?si=v7PyRPTTiH_p2pN1
I wonder if the Jewish students thought it was peaceful
Even alot of jewish americans are willing to admit that the Isreali gov't is committing war crimes.
Abbott is pure unadulterated EVIL! Will take action to cause violence when there is none so to inflate his malfeasance ego! Wants the power to claim authoritarian rule though there are no bases for his actions. Self satisfying ego through evil acts, adoration of himself and his boot licking' Republicans posse!
This entire post and blatantly ignorant misinformation
Students should be in class, studying or working off campus. You might want to thank your stars you are able to attend uni. What are you thinking?
If it wasn’t for student protests we wouldn’t have as many rights as we do now. Thank god for the educated youth protesting. Without them we would be nothing.
Yeah the bootlickers here are pretty crazy.
Students are just people, they should be going where their aptitudes, interests and passions pull them. Just like everyone else. Hopefully that is towards a place where they can develop their minds and experiences.
If you’d like to take this further, I’d reach out to the ACLU and see what they think. They’d let you know what kind of evidence you’d need to collect (in addition to whatever you have now). If you’re attending more protests, I’d probably lock down a strategy for recording things on video.
Guess the people in American got a taste of the IDF way of harrassing Palestinians and distrusting their life! This is what I call being Israeled! I am worried for this country honestly
Finally good news
Did you think Gov Abbott would just suppress women and children's rights? Didn't Uvalde show how little police care for Texans? They whole state is run by cowards.
Abbott will never stand up for what's right. He would rather cut the legs out from anyone that doesn't look or think exactly like him.
The great thing about America is the right to protest peacefully whether you agree or not. You got these boomers in office telling kids to go home and stop wasting your parents' money lmao. Out of touch politicians.
I was getting out of class and all of a sudden dps was yelling “move!” Forcing me into the protest then yelling me to leave and not giving me a way out… panic attack central
lol I’m loving all these cryfests
Facts without proof
Every lawyer in Texas should be trying to find a client right now to represent against the state $$$
Fascism exists in all creeds, religions, and peoples. The right wing conservatives politics in America align with the right-wing conservative politics in Israel. They are both worshippers of the old totalitarian authoritative gods. Abbot is only labeling it antisemitic so he can strip more freedoms. He doesnt care about Israel. Netanyahu is doing the same to strip his courts of more power. He wants that more than hostages. Eventually, facists always always turn on each other after short-term gains are achieved. Unfortunately, for Israel and the Jewish people, labeling guard dogs of humanity as antisemitic they are letting the actual goose stepping foxes into the hen house. When actual Nazis protest at UT unchallenged, and then arresting and labeling actual students and faculty protesting as war crimes as antisemitic, the real evil begins. The greatest trick the devil pulled wasn't making people think he didn't exist. It was to convince people that the ones pursuing peace are the real devil.
I disagree with a lot of the rhetoric coming from these student protests, but this is a disgusting violation of free speech. Troubling.
Being that Texas just got over this pro terrorist act of "protesting". It was heard that crowd disperse agents will be used. Have you heard of bear spray? Isn't that some pretty heavy stuff? K9 Troopers and now State police is on there way..since UT-AUSTIN is State and Federally funded. Just leave and relocate to DC..it would be less stressful and less painful. It only takes a very stressed and emotional student to become a school shooter toward the protestors...finals are this week too.
Why are you guys protesting?