Southwest
UT Austin suspends Pro-Palestinian student group after anti-Israel protest
A Pro-Palestinian student group at the University of Texas at Austin shared on Friday that it was placed on interim suspension following the arrest of several students earlier this week.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) shared on their Instagram Friday that the university had suspended the organization, alleging the school “has repeatedly changed protest policies and been deliberately vague about these changes” since the on-campus protests began.
“UT’s suspension of the Palestine Solidarity Committee is an attack on free speech to distract from and enable israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people!,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “While Jay Hartzell and Greg Abbot authorized Texas State Troopers, Austin Police, and UT police to violently attack and arrest protesters on campus, Palestinians continue to live in a state of emergency that UT refuses to recognize.”
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PSC was reportedly notified of the suspension Thursday, according to CBS Austin.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) shared on their Instagram Friday that the university had suspended the organization, alleging the school “has repeatedly changed protest policies and been deliberately vague about these changes” since the on-campus protests began. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
A university spokesperson told CBS Austin the interim suspension came as a result of PSC allegedly violating institutional rules based on student conduct and integrity. The suspension means the organization will not be able to host any on-campus events, reserve rooms, and work with faculty, the outlet reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to PSC and the university for additional comment.
UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME!’
The suspension comes several days after more than 30 people were arrested on UT Austin’s campus during an anti-Israel protest on Wednesday.
The Austin Police Department (APD) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) were observed making arrests while some officers monitored the protests on horseback.
DPS told Fox News Digital the arrests were made “in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass.” (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The group was heard chanting “APD, KKK, IDF / they’re all the same” and “Pigs go home!” to officers at the scene. DPS told Fox News Digital the arrests were made “in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass.”
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UT Austin President Jay Hartzell released a statement that same day defending the university’s decision to shut down the protest.
“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.”
UT Austin President Jay Hartzell released a statement that same day defending the university’s decision to shut down the protest. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“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.”
Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano, Bryan Preston, and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
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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.
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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).
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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
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