As word got out that pro-Palestine protesters were planning to occupy a lawn on the University of Texas campus, Gov. Greg Abbott made a dramatic move: calling in more than 100 state troopers with orders to clear them out.
But the aggressiveness of the response has alarmed students, faculty, Democrats, and even some Republicans who have previously sided with Abbott in his crusades to protect free speech on college campuses.
Critics were quick to note, for example, that Abbott proudly signed a law in 2019 that aimed to protect free speech on college campuses by guaranteeing anyone can protest in common outdoor areas as long as they are not breaking the law or disrupting the regular functioning of the school. That is precisely what those arrested Wednesday were doing, they said.
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