Charges have been dismissed against 46 people arrested at a protest Wednesday on UT Austin's campus, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said.
"Legal concerns were raised by defense counsel, we reviewed each case individually and agreed there were deficiencies in the probable cause affidavits," she told KUT in a text. "The Court affirmed and ordered the release of the individuals."
Nearly 60 people were arrested for allegedly trespassing during the pro-Palestinian demonstration. Garza said her office would continue to review cases to determine whether prosecution "is factually and legally appropriate."
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on UT campus Wednesday as part of a protest in support of Palestinians and demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, was met by a multiagency show of force. State police responded by request from UT President Jay Hartzell and Gov. Greg Abbott, who characterized the protest as violent and anti-Semitic.
Officers from the Austin Police Department, UT Police and the Department of Public Safety attempted to clear the university's south lawn. Dozens of protesters were arrested for criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor akin to loitering, or disorderly conduct, which is also a misdemeanor.
On Thursday, the university said there was a significant “outside group presence” at the protest and that “roughly half” of those arrested were not part of the UT community.
However, most of the small group of people whose charges were not dismissed on Wednesday do appear to be students. According to probable cause affidavits KUT obtained from the county, the names of seven of the 11 people match students listed in UT’s directory.
Faculty held a peaceful protest in the same spot Thursday to condemn the police response to the earlier demonstration.
The demonstrations are part of a wave of protests over Israel's war in Gaza.
The Texas Newsroom's Lauren McGaughy and KUT's Becky Fogel contributed to this report.
Copyright 2024 KUT News. To see more, visit KUT News.