Hawzah News Agency- Filed on Wednesday in US District Court in San Antonio by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) on behalf of the students, the lawsuit accuses UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, Abbott and law enforcement officers of intentionally suppressing pro-Palestine speech at an April 24, 2024, campus protest. Lawsuit accuses University of Texas President Jay Hartzell, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and law enforcement officers of intentionally suppressing pro-Palestine speech during a campus protest against Israel's genocide in Gaza.
According to the filing, Abbott, with the consent of Hartzell, ordered state police in riot gear to carry out mass arrests, violating protesters' First Amendment rights to assemble and express their opinions.
The lawsuit is among a wave of legal actions against US universities, law enforcement and state leaders over their handling of pro-Palestine student protests that erupted in the Spring of 2024.
"It is reclaiming our narrative because we were treated as criminals'', said Arwyn Heilrayne, a second-year student, who experienced a panic attack after she was knocked to the ground by police and had her wrists tightly zip-tied.
She has since had to leave an internship at the state legislature and been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of her arrest, she said.
Mia Cisco said suing the university took on a new urgency as she watched the Trump administration try to deport foreign students for their pro-Palestine advocacy.
"It's really vital and crucial right now to make sure that that we say that it's not okay'', said Cisco, a third-year student, who had her hijab forcibly removed by police following her arrest.
Dozens of demonstrators were taken into custody at the protest then released two days later after the Travis County Attorney's Office said charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause.
All students arrested faced university disciplinary action, according to the lawsuit.
ADC Director Abed Ayoub saw most Americans, especially Texans, backing free speech for pro-Palestine protesters.
Source: TRT Global
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