Austin, TX
Austin city council members react to chaotic week at UT Austin
AUSTIN, Texas — The pro -Palestine protest at the University of Texas at Austin made headlines nationwide.
Over 50 people, including a photojournalist, were arrested at Wednesday’s protest, and that was just the beginning of what would be a news-filled week.
It’s been a busy week at UT, to say the least. From protests to arrests to the suspension of a pro-Palestine student group, CBS Austin got a front row seat to it all.
“It was extremely disturbing to see,” said District 9 council member Zo Qadri.
Qadri and other council members weighed in on the protests and how they were handled.
“What we saw was seemingly peaceful protestors, exercising their first amendment rights,” said District 2 council member Vanessa Fuentes.
The order to deploy Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to the protest came from the direction of Governor Greg Abbott.
“For some reason, the governor felt it necessary to call in state troopers in riot gear to quell what seemed to be a very peaceful protest,” said District 5 council member Ryan Alter.
What started at as a peaceful protest organized by the UT student group Palestine Solidarity Committee, would erupt into complete chaos.
Hundreds of members of several law enforcement agencies overtook the campus, and 57 arrests were made, including several UT students, for criminal trespass.
“I still don’t understand why these protestors were met with the response that they were met with; the reception they were met with,” Qadri said. “Why were they met with the type of force they were met with? Why was DPS involved? Why was UTPD, you know, out here? Why was APD involved in the manners they were involved?”
Some of the students arrested spoke to CBS Austin Thursday. One said the zip ties used to restrain her were too tight, injuring her arms. She also said an officer knelt on her back during the arrest, despite her getting on the ground voluntarily and not resisting.
“What we saw was an excessive and flagrant use of force,” Fuentes said.
The same day of the protest, UT President Jay Hartzell released a statement, defending his decision to bring in law enforcement agencies on campus, stating that the Palestine Solidarity Committee had threatened to occupy the campus.
Thursday, all of the protestors arrested were released from the Travis County jail and charges would be dropped.
“That is the system working, right?” Alter said. “I’m very encouraged to see that our county attorney Delia Garza did drop those charges, because they didn’t seem to be appropriate.”
A planned protest at UT on Thursday against the state-mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion ban was canceled and another, albeit much calmer, pro-Palestine protest took place.
Also on Thursday, several faculty members and students called for the removal of Hartzell and noted that they were putting forward a statement of no confidence in UT’s president.
“The UT community needs to decide what should and shouldn’t have happened and figure out what broke down and what quite didn’t meet the public’s expectations,” Alter said. “ The president is ultimately the one who is in charge and responsible, and so it’s my hope that he will use this as a learning lesson.”
Friday, UT suspended the Palestine Solidarity Committee, citing an alleged violation of institutional rules.
The university also handed out a letter stating that anyone who was warned or arrested from criminal trespass could be arrested or re-arrested if they returned to campus, but said it’s an interim action, which means they’d still be allowed on campus for academic reasons and could still access university resources with approval.
The DEI protest that was supposed to take place Thursday is slated to happen on Monday afternoon.
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
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Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A report released by the think tank Texas 2036 claims that ten state laws implemented between 2019 and 2025 led to “one of the nation’s most comprehensive strategies for connecting education to careers.”
The report is titled “The Next Generation of the Texas Miracle.” It can be read below.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s director of education and workforce policy, said in an announcement accompanying the report that the reforms have been steps in the right direction.
“Texas has a bright economic future ahead of it, but we have to make sure that Texas students are equipped to share in this prosperity,” she said. “Texas needs to double down on improving and investing in high-quality career pathways so that all Texas students can take part in the Texas Miracle. Thankfully, due to the Legislature’s great work over the past four sessions, we are on our way to that critical goal.”
The report gives several data points, such as a 532% increase in high schoolers earning “post-secondary credentials” since 2018, or that community colleges awarded 140,000 “credentials of value” in 2024.
It paints a rosy picture of the future Texas economy, but doesn’t source its data or explain how it reached these conclusions. It’s apparent that the think tank wants further laws related to Texas’ workforce and education.
“Texas 2036 is actively engaged in that process, pushing for data modernization and interoperability reforms that would allow the state to track whether credentials are meeting real employer needs in communities across the state,” said the think tank in its announcement.
Grace Atkins, policy advisor of postsecondary education for Texas 2036, called the think tank’s report “encouraging.”
“The early results are encouraging: more students are earning credentials that can help them move into good jobs, and that is real progress,” she said. “For students and families, these pathways can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The next step is making sure more Texans can earn credentials that lead to strong wages, real career options and greater economic mobility.”
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