AUSTIN, Texas — Police in riot gear were once against clashing with protesters on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin Monday.
The protesters set up a new encampment, protesting the war in Gaza and demanding the university divest from companies that supports the Israeli military.
There were several arrests and at one point, the protest appeared to be breaking up. It then flared back up again as students and demonstrators faced off with police.
There are reports of pepper spray and flashbang grenades being used by police. Earlier, we saw clips of confrontations between police and demonstrators who they surrounded and began to arrest.
Local reporters said police were starting to dismantle the demonstrators’ tents on the south lawn of the campus. We’re hearing of at least 30 arrests so far on Monday afternoon.
The university issued a statement, saying it had received online threats from a group organizing Monday’s protest and that demonstrators ignored repeated warnings to remove the tents from the area.
Gov. Abbott, already vocal and critical of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations doubled down on Monday. At around 3 p.m., he posted that no encampments would be allowed.
Just last week, hundreds of police — including some on horseback and holding batons — pushed into protesters at the university, sending some tumbling into the street. Officers made 34 arrests at the behest of the university and Abbott, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
We’re staying on top of this developing story and will update you as we get new information.