Dozens of people were arrested Monday at a protest on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, according to the university's Defend Palestine Camp, which also alleged that officers used force to detain people.
The encampment formed on the school's South Mall Lawn around 12:30 p.m. CT, and about an hour later, officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Austin Police Department, and campus police responded with equipment riot police, according to a press release from the organizers. .
“About 40 people were arrested, and police reportedly used stun grenades, mace and other chemical munitions during the arrests,” the news release said.
The university is working on gathering information, including the number of people arrested, for a news release later Monday, said Brian Davis, senior manager of crisis affairs and communications for the university.
The Travis County Sheriff's Office will not have a total number of arrests until Tuesday morning, spokeswoman Kristen Dark told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Public Safety for comment.
“We demand that UT get rid of the Zionist state of Israel and all the institutions and companies that are enabling the current genocide in Gaza… We demand the resignation of President (Jay) Hartzell for giving the green light to the militarized repression of peaceful student protesters in their cities. own campus,” Lenna Nasr of the Palestinian Youth Movement said in the press release.
cnn Joe Sutton and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report.
