Texas Republicans Praise UT Austin, AG Abbott Over Protest Shutdown

Republican officials from Texas praised Governor Greg Abbott and the University of Texas at Austin for successfully shutting down a pro-Palestinian protest on campus. Representative Beth Van Duyne called out, “Take your intifada and shove it! Don’t Mess with Texas,” while Rep. Craig Goldman urged authorities in New York to follow UT Austin’s lead after President Hartzell handled the situation correctly. Brendan Steinhauser commended Hartzell for standing up against antisemitic radical leftists, but warned that time will tell whether it would be rewarded or punished. Over 50 people were arrested out of hundreds participating in yesterday’s Palestine protest at UT Austin, and state troopers pushed the group away from academic buildings to commercial streets with their swift response preventing a potentially dangerous situation on campus where over 51,000 undergraduate students reside mere blocks downtown. On Thursday police returned as protesters regrouped for another day of demonstrations, with both local and state authorities present alongside UT Police in enforcement efforts at the university’s request and Governor Abbott’s direction. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesperson stated that DPS personnel remain on standby to support law enforcement partners should situations demand their involvement for maintaining peace.