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Protest of Israel-Hamas war continues at UT-Austin

More than 50 arrests were made in Austin on Wednesday

AUSTIN – A pro-Palestinian protest continued at the University of Texas at Austin on Thursday, a day after demonstrations popped up on several campuses all over the U.S., including UTSA.

Watch a video of a portion of the protest in the player above.

On Wednesday, the demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war resulted in more than 50 arrests in Austin, and one TV photographer was taken into custody on accusations of criminal trespassing.

Photos and videos posted by news outlets and social media users showed officers at the UT-Austin aggressively detaining dozens of protesters.

Hundreds of local and state police — including some on horseback and holding batons — bulldozed into protesters, at one point sending some tumbling into the street.

In a video posted by KTBC in Austin, a photographer appeared to fall to the ground. A trooper off-camera can be heard saying, “Get on the ground! Lay down!”

“I was moving!” the photographer was heard saying to the trooper.

The photographer was handcuffed. An unidentified person held onto the photographer’s camera and walked alongside him as it continued to roll.

After the arrest, local reporters already at the protest caught up with the photographer. He identified himself as “Carlos” and said he worked at KTBC.

KTBC reporter Meredith Aldis said the station photographer was charged with criminal trespassing. He was released from jail on Thursday.

The Texas Tribune reported that at least 57 people were arrested. Protesters were slowly released from jail on Thursday, KTBC reported.

In a statement, university President Jay Hartzell said that peaceful protests within the university’s rules are acceptable but that breaking the rules and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed.

“Our rules matter, and they will be enforced,” his statement said. “Our University will not be occupied.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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About the Authors
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

Nate Kotisso headshot

Nate Kotisso joined KSAT as a digital journalist in 2024. He previously worked as a newspaper reporter in the Rio Grande Valley for more than two years and spent nearly three years as a digital producer at the CBS station in Oklahoma City.

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