If you follow news on conservative blogs, you’ve probably read about antisemitic riots roiling liberal campuses like Columbia, where Jewish students have been assaulted or threatened by Hamas supporters who loudly proclaim their desire to “destroy Zionists” throughout the world.
The usual gang of idiots tried that at the University of Texas and quickly found out that Texas isn’t New York.
More than 20 people have been arrested, including a FOX 7 Austin photographer, by law enforcement on the University of Texas at Austin campus Wednesday.
UT Police have issued a dispersal order directing everyone to leave the South Mall area immediately.
Hundreds of students walked out of class Wednesday to rally for Palestine and attempt to occupy the South Lawn on campus.
The students gathered on the South Lawn and set up tents while chanting “Free Free Palestine” and other slogans, including ones aimed at the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and even Austin police.
DPS said in a release on social media that it responded to the campus at the request of the University and at the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass.”
UTPD is warning people to avoid the area in the 2200 block of Speedway for “police activity”. This area is between the South Lawn and the Gregory Gymnasium where the march began.
Abbot went further and suggested that antisemitic protestors be expelled.
On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that the arrests would continue until the crowd dispersed.
“These protesters belong in jail. Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period. Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled,” said Abbott.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, noted in light of the protests nationwide that the First Amendment does not protect violence or harassment.
“Let’s be real: if campuses witnessed protests with anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Asian, or anti-Hispanic slogans, the backlash would be fierce and immediate. Yet, when protests challenge Israel’s existence, they’re often waved off as acceptable political speech. It’s an unacceptable double standard, one that’s been fueled significantly by DEI programs,” he wrote in a post on X.
Creighton was the author of the state’s ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and departments on college campuses that went into effect earlier this year.
“And let’s not forget what Israel is fighting against —Hamas, a known terrorist organization, carried out the Oct. 7th attack—the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. This isn’t about politics; it’s about recognizing and condemning terrorism and violence,” Creighton added.
The first amendment affords these morons the right to protest for their incredibly stupid causes. However, the right to protest is not the right to break the law, and clearly leftwing campuses across America have been letting their radical darlings break laws at will. Eugene Volokh has additional information on what is and isn’t lawful protest and both public and private universities. “There is no First Amendment right to camp out in any university, public or private. Indeed, there is no First Amendment right to camp out even in public parks (see Clark v. CCNV (1984)), and the government’s power to limit the use of property used for a public university is even greater than its power as to parks (Widmar v. Vincent (1981)).” (Hat tip: Instapundit.)
Disruptive protests that break the law are not constitutionally protected. Pro-Hamas protestors may get away with that sort of thing in deep blue cities and states, but that sort of thing doesn’t fly in Texas.