Students sue Texas university, governor over Gaza protest arrests

Four current and former University of Texas at Austin students sued the college and Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday, alleging they faced unlawful arrest and retaliatory discipline for demonstrating against Israel's assault on Gaza. The lawsuit is among a wave of legal actions against U.S. universities, law enforcement and state leaders over their handling of pro-Palestinian student protests that erupted in the Spring of 2024. Filed in U.S. 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-Palestinian speech at an April 24, 2024, campus protest.