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What is a pro-Palestine protest? Here’s why U.S. college students are protesting

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What is a pro-Palestine protest? Here’s why U.S. college students are protesting


Dozens of protesters at the University of Texas were arrested Wednesday during a peaceful, pro-Palestinian protest hosted on the campus by the Palestine Solidarity Committee.

“UT Austin does not tolerate disruptions of campus activities or operations like we have seen at other campuses,” the UT Division of Student Affairs said in a statement before the protest. 

After about 45 minutes of the crowd marching south on the mall from the Gregory Gym area, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and campus police ordered the protesters to disperse or “be arrested as per the penal code.”

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Here’s why UT-Austin students are protesting:

What is a pro-Palestine protest?

Pro-Palestinian protests are demonstrations in support of Palestinian rights, typically calling for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Protests began in the wake of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s assault on Israeli communities Oct. 7, killing almost 1,200 people.

Israel’s subsequent bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians — militants and civilians; men, women and children — and has fueled a dire humanitarian crisis.

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Where is Palestine located?

Palestine is recognized as an independent state by the United Nations and more than 135 of its members, but it is not recognized by the U.S., according to History. The UN considers it a single occupied entity, but the official borders are undetermined, BBC News reported.

Though its borders have shifted over the years, Palestinian territories used to be what is now Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. 

When searching for “Palestine” on Google Maps, the map zooms in on the Israel-Palestine region, and both the Gaza Strip and West Bank territories are labeled and separated by dotted lines. But there is no label for Palestine.

In an email statement, Google said it doesn’t label the borders because there isn’t international consensus on where the Palestinian boundaries are located. 

Why are college students protesting?

The Palestine Solidarity Committee, a registered UT student group and a chapter of the national Students for Justice in Palestine, planned a protest Wednesday at the UT campus in solidarity with students across the U.S., including at Columbia University, Yale University and New York University, who are calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

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Across the country, pro-Palestinian student protesters have occupied campuses in tent encampments this week in a campaign to urge their universities to divest, an action students over the decades have demanded from their schools’ administrators.

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At pro-Palestinian rally at UT-Austin, protesters arrested

Multiple protesters on UT-Austin’s campus were arrested during a pro-Palestinian rally held by students.

What is ‘divest’?

The word “divest” refers to diverting money from a university’s endowment — the pool of money a college has and tries to grow through investments. Some of the biggest university endowments in the country total nearly $50 billion and comprise thousands of funds.

The protesters opposed to Israel’s military attacks in Gaza say they want their schools to stop funneling endowment money to Israeli companies and other businesses, like weapons manufacturers, that profit from the war in Gaza.

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“The university would rather enforce and put money into policing our communities and policing their own students then they would to supporting them,” said Anachí Ponce, a UT student who attended the protest. “These are students who are protesting a genocide and the lack of action from UT administration for the way that they haven’t been super helpful against hate crimes against Muslim students on campus.”

“It’s like, why is our money being used to fund bombs overseas?,” said Layla Saliba, a student protester researching endowment investments with the group Columbia University Apartheid Divestment. “Let’s reinvest this money in our community instead,” she said.

In addition to divestment, protesters across the U.S. are calling for a cease-fire and student governments at some colleges have also passed resolutions in recent weeks calling for an end to academic partnerships with Israel.

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Are universities investing in Israel?

Protesters have called for a halt to investments in Israel, but experts say that might be too simplified a take on what colleges have done with their funds. To begin with, it’s difficult to define what an “investment” in Israel entails, said economist Sandy Baum, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute who studies college finances.

She said bigger investments are more obvious than smaller ones tucked away in mutual funds — an investment tool that pools money and spreads it out over many assets, and a type of financial tool on which many colleges rely.

Universities hire private companies to manage their endowments to preserve their funds over the long run, Baum said.

Debates about the investments of college endowments are complicated, Baum said, because some university stakeholders argue the money needs to produce the biggest return on investment possible to fund teaching and necessary programming and services.

“The purpose of the endowment is to have money that will allow the university to permanently provide educational opportunities so that they don’t have to go out and raise new money every year to continue operating,” she said.

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The bigger a university’s endowment, the more is at stake. That’s one reason why pro-Palestinian student protesters at wealthy universities are fighting so hard this week, she said. There’s a lot of money involved.

“There are always going to be differencesof opinion about what you don’t want to invest in,” Baum said.



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Austin, TX

Dayglow plans three back-to-back hometown shows in Austin on new tour

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Dayglow plans three back-to-back hometown shows in Austin on new tour


Austin’s Moody Center has positioned itself as the next big thing in arena entertainment — not just in Austin, but in the country. In 2022, it was the highest-grossing arena of its size, according to Billboard; In 2023, the Academy of Country Music named it the Arena of the Year; In 2024, it is Pollstar Arena of the Year. It’s adding another feather to its cap with the arrival of one of the world’s biggest esports event next summer.

Moody Center is hosting Blast.tv Counter-Strike Major 2025 next June. The event is predicted to bring in $40 million, with 50,000 fans expected to attend. Players on teams and participating individually will competing for a $125 million prize pool. This event is the first Counter-Strike Major in seven years, since it was held in Boston.

Although esports — competitive video game-playing, with in-person and streaming audiences depending on the event — are still a relatively niche event category, they are on the rise and represent huge opportunities for catching audience attention. Fans are expected to tune into Counter-Strike 2025 from more than 150 territories, watching in 28 languages.

Even if players are not “athletes” in the traditional sense, they work with complex strategy, quick reaction times, and even physical discipline — how long can the average person sit and focus completely? Austin, famously an F1 city, seems to be getting deeper into fringe kinds of athleticism.

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The relatively new Moody Center, opened in April 2022, is still light on popular traditional sports. The calendar does have some interesting departures from the football-basketball-soccer-hockey norm, like bull riding and WWE wrestling.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas,” said Blast CEO Robbie Douek in a press release. “The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center, and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event. We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.”

Austin’s prevalence as a growing tech city also makes it an ideal place to show off the event’s tech capabilities, or even just appeal to tech-informed people who are likely to be interested in gaming.

“Austin is the perfect place to showcase the esports industry and the technology at the heart of the competition,” said Mayor Kirk Watson in the release. “We look forward to welcoming teams and fans from all across the globe to Austin.”

The release also shared a quote from Drew Hays, executive director at the Austin Sports Commission, although it did not name the commission’s involvement in bringing the event to fruition: “We’re excited to host Blast.tv Austin Major, Austin’s first arena-based esports competition, which we estimate will bring 10,000+ fans to Moody Center each day. For our city to have such a thriving technology sector and avid esports fanbase, an event like this is long overdue and we’re looking forward to an exciting competition next June.”

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More information about the Blast.tv Austin Major, including tickets and dates updates, will be available over time at blast.tv.



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Austin, TX

Austin man wins U.S. Supreme Court case on bump stocks

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Austin man wins U.S. Supreme Court case on bump stocks


The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban on bump stocks following a case filed by an Austin man.

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“It’s amazing to have a case that actually makes it all the way up to the highest court of the land with your name on it, and to come out on top and actually win,” said Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works.

MORE: Austin gun store owner fights Supreme Court over bump stocks

Cargill filed this case after a ban on bump stocks was put in place. A bump stock is a gun accessory that was banned as a result of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. The shooter used the attachment, firing more than 1,000 rounds into the crowd in 11 minutes, killing 60 people.

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Cargill made it clear he was sympathetic. However, he says he filed the case after feeling the ban did not follow federal law.

MORE: Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks

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“My hearts and prayers go out to all the people that lost their lives in Las Vegas, but this is not about that. This is about the fact that, you know, an agency within the federal government, if you want to ban something, didn’t do it the right way,” he said.

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Five years of fighting later, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban by a vote of 6 to 3. 

“We know how a bill becomes law. Someone writes a bill; it goes to both houses of Congress, they pass it, the president, you know, signs it and it becomes law. If you want something to become law, you want to change the wording of something, then do it the right way,” he said.

Cargill says he hopes this prevents or deters anything similar from happening again.

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Austin, TX

Texas’ Moody Center to host Blast.TV Counter-Strike Major in June 2025

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Texas’ Moody Center to host Blast.TV Counter-Strike Major in June 2025


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Esports are about to hit Austin in a big way.

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The University of Texas’ Moody Center is set to host next year’s Blast.TV Counter-Strike Major in June 2025. One of the biggest esports events of the year, teams from around the world will be competing for glory, pride and a $1.25 million prize pool.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas. The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event,” BLAST CEO Robbie Douek said in a press release. “We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.”

It’s been seven years since the United States hosted the Counter-Strike Major Championships, with the last one being in Boston. The event is broadcast worldwide, drawing in 50,000+ fans and millions more tuning in from 150+ territories and broadcast in 28 languages. 

Olympic video games? What to know about Olympic Esports Games coming soon

What is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve, and is the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series. The first Major sponsored by Valve was held back in 2013 in Sweden. While there are other tournaments for the game, the Major is considered the most prestigious among esports fans.

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“We are thrilled that Austin has been selected to host the BLAST.tv Austin Major, one of the biggest esports events in the world. Austin is the perfect place to showcase the esports industry and the technology at the heart of the competition,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a press release.



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