AUSTIN, Texas — This past weekend saw another pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.

Just a few blocks away, at the Texas State Capitol, people rallied to support Israel.

Responding to demands made by the former group, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took to X, formerly Twitter, and said UT will never divest from weapons manufacturers that are selling arms to the Israel Defense Forces.

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of students protested on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Sunday. They called for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers that are supplying Israel

  • Gov. Greg Abbott took to X, formerly Twitter, in response, writing, “This will NEVER happen”

  • Pro-Palestinian protests on the UT campus have resulted in at least 136 arrests

  • Abbott is a staunch supporter of Israel, traveling there last fall to reaffirm his solidarity

“This will NEVER happen,” Abbott wrote. “The only thing that will happen is that the University and the State will use all law-enforcement tools to quickly terminate illegal protests taking place on campus that clearly violate the laws of the state of Texas and policies of the university.”

According to Spectrum News 1 reporter Jose Arredondo, who was there, Sunday’s protest on the UT campus drew hundreds of students and some faculty members.

Pro-Palestinian protests on the UT campus have resulted in at least 136 arrests.

Annette Rodriguez, an associate professor of history at UT, told Spectrum News that student protesters are worried. 

“They have good reason to be afraid. They’ve been threatened with disciplinary action,” she said. “They’ve been threatened with being taken from campus for doing something that is protected by Texas law and the U.S. Constitution.”

Abbott has long been a staunch supporter of Israel, traveling there last November to reaffirm Texas’ solidarity amid the ongoing war with Hamas.

“There is a deep, enduring bond between Texas and Israel, with the blessings of freedom and burdens of vigilance embedded in the histories of both our people,” Abbott said.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Abbott has taken steps to bolster security and combat antisemitism in Texas. That includes a grant totaling $4 million to support security enhancements for Jewish organizations, directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to coordinate with local partners and federal intelligence agencies to strengthen public safety measures, and directing the Texas Holocaust, Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to identify ways to quickly report and take preventative actions against acts of antisemitism.

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, more than 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since October.

Spectrum News 1 reporter Jose Arredondo contributed to this report.