In late March, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered public universities to revise their free speech policies and singled out some pro-Palestine student groups, saying they should be subject to discipline. The order told officials for Texas university systems to report back free speech policy changes within 90 days.
Still, students and organizations have continued to announce pro-Palestine demonstrations, including at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas. On Wednesday, multiple people were arrested on the UT-Austin campus during one such demonstration.
Gov. Greg Abbott cheered the arrests and called for the students to be expelled.
Free speech experts and advocates say students can generally peacefully protest, regardless of their viewpoint. However, colleges and authorities may still enforce some restrictions and criminal laws to maintain peace and order.