DALLAS — Students at the University of Texas at Dallas established a pro-Palestinian encampment early Wednesday morning, but around 4 p.m., law enforcement showed up in riot gear and began arresting students.

What You Need To Know

  • The UT Dallas chapter of the national student activism organization Students for Justice in Palestine posted on Instagram saying students started putting up tents on Chess Plaza around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday
  • Around 4 p.m., law enforcement showed up in riot gear and began arresting students

  • The group is calling the area the Gaza Liberation Plaza and is demanding the university to divest from companies that fund Israel’s military

  • The students are also asking for UT Dallas to release a public statement calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Soon after law enforcement showed up at UT Dallas, the school posted a notice that, "all tents and structures must be removed immediately. Failure to comply with this instruction may result in removal for Criminal Trespass or other violations of state law and/or sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct, as appropriate."

UT Dallas is one of dozens of college campuses across the country that have seen encampments and protests against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. 

The UT Dallas chapter of the national student activism organization Students for Justice in Palestine posted on Instagram saying students started putting up tents on Chess Plaza around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. 

The group is calling the area the Gaza Liberation Plaza and is demanding the university to divest from companies that fund Israel’s military. Some specific companies the group mentioned were Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Boeing. 

“We reject our university’s complicity in profiting off the genocide,” the post said. “We will continue to escalate and put pressure on our university until UTD/UTIMCO [University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company] divest from war profiteers and Palestine is free.”

The students are also asking for UT Dallas to release a public statement calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

A member of the group said in a video that university administration had been in contact with some protesters and threatened expulsion or calling in state troopers to disband the encampment. 

This isn’t the first protest UT Dallas has seen in recent weeks. On April 23, about 100 students occupied the administration building for a few hours as part of a sit-in, and other demonstrations across campus have followed.

Other UT campuses across Texas have also seen pro-Palestinian demonstrations in recent days, including San Antonio, Arlington and the university’s flagship campus—UT Austin. 

On Monday, 79 people were arrested at UT Austin when protesters tried to set up an encampment. University officials said 45 of the 79 arrested were not students. Another protest was planned for Wednesday, but it was postponed until May 5. 

Down in San Antonio, UTSA students are planning a rally on campus at 1 p.m. on Wednesday to protest how the UT administration has responded to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations across all campuses. 

Students for Justice in Palestine UT Dallas is also planning a walkout Thursday at noon along with other walkouts planned across the country.