![Click to enlarge protester](/image/s35/705240/super/1_Protestor_arrested_at_Univer.jpg)
Today, FIRE sent a letter to Jay Hartzell, president of the University of Texas at Austin, in response to the disturbing display of force and free speech violations that occurred on UT Austin's campus yesterday afternoon.
A group called the Palestinian Solidarity Committee of Austin planned to stage a "Popular University for Gaza" walk-out just before noon on April 24. Their plan, which the committee announced the day before, was to march to the campus' South Lawn, where teach-ins, study breaks, pizza, and an art workshop would take place along with a talk from a guest speaker.
However, at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the university, the protestors were met with a phalanx of law enforcement officers โ including campus police and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers โ who proceeded to order the protestors to disperse. This led to more than 50 arrests and countless violations of student and faculty free speech rights โ including a photojournalist with a local Fox affiliate station whom officers tackled to the ground before imposing trespassing charges.
Comment: Some information on Roswell Air Center from a government website: Just 10 days ago: Explosion rocks UK's only munitions filling factory, day after US shell plant bursts into flames