Pro-Palestinian Group Barred At Texas College

The University of Texas barred a pro-Palestinian group accused of supporting Hamas during recent demonstrations. The decision followed weeks of tumult at various college campuses across the country, leading to dozens of arrests.

The decision came after a clash on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The Palestine Solidarity Committee was banned after occupying part of the campus. The incident resulted in almost 60 arrests last week.

Following the decision, the committee released a statement calling on students to demand that the “unprecedented and arbitrary suspension” be released. It also called for students to protest the college’s “mistreatment of its student community.”

The group also argued that the suspension represented the university’s “selective censorship of pro-Palestinian student organizations as an attempt to prevent protest against israel’s increasingly brutal attacks.” The statement intentionally did not capitalize the letter “I” in Israel.

The rally included protesters waving the Palestinian flag and placing signs on a statue of George Washington. One protester called for Jews to return to Germany and called for an intifada, or armed uprising.

Pro Hamas idiots at UT Austin discover what happens why you try to pull a Columbia in Texas
pic.twitter.com/PB1YG3ZaFe

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 24, 2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that arrests were being conducted at the college and “will continue until the crowd disperses.”

“These protesters belong in jail,” he wrote.

“Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas,” he wrote on social media. “Period.”

“Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.”

Much of the current issue stems from protests that emerged at Columbia University. Earlier this month the college cleared out student protesters occupying an academic building. The incident resulted in more than 100 arrests, including that of the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

The protests have expanded significantly since, including the construction of tent cities across a number of colleges. This includes some colleges deciding to tear down the encampments while Columbia University said that it was unlikely to destroy the encampment. One student at another college was stabbed in the eye by a Palestinian flag.