Southwest
UT-Austin president defends shutting down anti-Israel protests: 'Our rules matter and they will be enforced'
University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell released a statement Wednesday evening that unequivocally defended his decision to shut down an anti-Israel protest on campus, where more than 30 people were arrested.
“Our rules matter and they will be enforced,” he said in a lengthy statement that recognized that there was “a lot of emotion surrounding these events.”
“This has been a challenging day for many,” Hartzell wrote in a statement addressed to the UT-Austin community. “We have witnessed much activity we normally do not experience on our campus, and there is understandably a lot of emotion surrounding these events.”
“Today, our University held firm, enforcing our rules while protecting the Constitutional right to free speech. Peaceful protests within our rules are acceptable. Breaking our rules and policies and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed. The group that led this protest stated it was going to violate Institutional Rules. Our rules matter, and they will be enforced. Our University will not be occupied,” the president added.
UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME!’
More than 30 people were arrested at an anti-Israel protest at UT Austin on Wednesday. (Bryan Preston / Fox News Digital)
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said law enforcement officers had arrested 34 people at the UT Austin campus related to the protest.
Charges for those arrested at colleges across the country — including more than 100 people at Columbia University in New York City and more than 90 people at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles — typically include trespassing or unlawful assembly.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS
“The protesters tried to deliver on their stated intent to occupy campus,” President Hartzell continued. “People not affiliated with UT joined them, and many ignored University officials’ continual pleas for restraint and to immediately disperse. The University did as we said we would do in the face of prohibited actions. We were prepared, with the necessary support to maintain campus operations and ensure the safety, well-being and learning environment for our more than 50,000 students.”
Charges for those arrested at colleges across the country — including more than 100 people at Columbia University in New York City — typically include trespassing or unlawful assembly. (KTBC)
The UT-Austin president applauded those who protested “within the rules.” (Bryan Preston / Fox News Digital)
The university president also applauded law enforcement and staff for allowing peaceful protests that “happen within the rules.”
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS
“We are grateful for the countless staff members and state and University law enforcement officers, as well as support personnel who exercised extraordinary restraint in the face of a difficult situation that is playing out at universities across the country,” he said. “There is a way to exercise freedom of speech and civil discourse, and our Office of the Dean of Students has continued to offer ways to ensure protests can happen within the rules. The University of Texas will continue to take necessary steps so that all our University functions proceed without interruption.”
UT Austin told Fox News Digital in a statement that it “does not tolerate” disruptive protests.
Jay Hartzell, president of The University of Texas at Austin, said rules on campus would continue to be enforced amid anti-Israel protests. (Nitashia Johnson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, denounced the protests as lawless and antisemitic.
“These protesters belong in jail,” Abbott wrote. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period. Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.”
Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
-
A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
-
Fitness6 seconds agoHealth Watch: Fitness Friday – exercise and dementia
-
Movie Reviews8 minutes ago
Film review: ‘Tuner’ mixes classical music, crime, and Dustin Hoffman | The Jerusalem Post
-
World18 minutes agoRescuers comb Venezuelan quake rubble, thousands reported missing
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoFormer Vice President Mike Pence believes Washington is more ‘swampy’ under Trump
-
Technology1 hour agoPrime Day’s final hours bring rare discounts on Philips Hue smart lights
-
World1 hour agoVideo shows gaping hole after small plane crashes into towering skyscraper
-
Politics1 hour agoWarren tells Trump to ‘sign the damn bill’ as bipartisan housing package remains stalled in Washington
-
Health2 hours agoCommon food preservatives may raise blood pressure and heart risks, study suggests
