(MENAFN) Local media reported that over 100 individuals were taken into custody following confrontations between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) campus on Monday afternoon, as stated by Travis County authorities. Charges against those arrested may encompass offenses such as resisting arrest and assault.
"I have seen two people violently arrested," a demonstrator informed a Chinese news agency, requesting secrecy.
During the protest, at least three individuals were reported to have fainted due to dehydration and were subsequently transported to the hospital, according to another eyewitness account.
The demonstration initially commenced as an event addressing recent layoffs related to "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" at the university. Anti-war protesters joined the rally around noon. Scores of demonstrators, echoing the chant "Free Palestine," were endeavoring to construct an encampment utilizing collapsible tables, tents, and various obstacles within the South Mall park area of the university campus.
Shortly after the rally commenced, the UT Police Department issued a dispersal order via social media, instructing all participants to vacate the rally area immediately.
Around 1:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT), law enforcement authorities intervened to forcibly clear individuals from the area. Reports indicate that police resorted to using pepper spray to disperse the crowds.
Amidst the commotion, protesters could be heard chanting, "There is no riot here, why are you in riot gear?"
"What brought me out today was seeing the response against students here who are peacefully protesting. I find it absurd that the state and local police departments have come down upon UT Austin and arrested students and protestors for peacefully protesting," Elliott Benavides, a student at UT Austin, relayed to the news agency.
"I'm a faculty at UT Austin, we are here on behalf of our students who are no longer safe on this campus because the University administration insists on calling in the police every time the students gather to voice their opinions," Pavithra Vasudevan, a faculty member at the university, commented.
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