A KTBC photographer was one of more than 30 people arrested on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Wednesday.
Hundreds of people gathered at UT Austin protesting the Israel-Hamas war. At times, things got contentious between protesters and law enforcement.
Protesters are calling for a ceasefire between the Israeli forces and Hamas, as well as an end to what they call the occupation of Palestine.
Texas DPS told the Austin Fox-owned station that 34 arrests were made by law enforcement on the UT Austin campus related to protests.
Social media video shows the station photographer being pulled backwards to the ground by Texas DPS troopers. He was then detained and taken to jail. He was booked into the Travis County Jail and was charged with criminal trespassing.
“The University of Texas has shown that they do not care about student free speech at all, they sent in multiple police agencies to oppress people, arrest organizers, and this is just what we’re seeing across the country,” Bill James, a rally attendee said.
DPS said in a release on social media that it responded to the campus at the request of the University and at the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “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.”