Protesters arrested at the University of Texas at Dallas during a pro-Palestinian demonstration and taken into custody Wednesday have been released.
At least 21 people were booked into the Collin County Jail for criminal trespass, including three UTD professors.
On Thursday dozens of protesters stood outside the jail with Palestinian flags, banners and signs while chanting for the release of those arrested.
Lee Mulupi, with the Dallas Anti-War Committee, was one of the people arrested by UTD police as law enforcement broke up a student-led encampment on campus.
Mulupi said they were notified by one of the members of the Dallas Anti-War Committee about the encampment — and the likelihood of getting arrested.
"I was only there for maybe 30 minutes before the cops showed up, and they started informing us of what the decision to stay in the encampment would mean," Mulupi said. "And when informed of what that decision would entail, I decided to stay."
When they were released 23 hours later, Mulupi said it was an "overwhelming" feeling to see familiar faces.
"I started crying instantly," Mulupi said. "It felt so good to be allowed to hug people."
Protestors set up the encampment at UTD as early as 4 a.m. Wednesday to demand the university divest from corporations with ties to Israel's war in Gaza.
In a press release sent by the Dallas chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, the group accused corporations like Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Boeing of facilitating “endless war, death and destruction in Palestine and around the world.” Protestors also want the university to formally call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
UTD's encampment follows similar encampments launched across the country, most notably at UT Austin, Columbia University and the University of Southern California.
The latest conflict between Israel and Hamas began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, taking about 250 people hostage and killing about 1,200 Israelis. Since then, more than 34,000 Palestinianshave been killed in Gaza, two-thirds of whom were women or children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Student protests, marches and encampments have spread across the U.S. in recent weeks. Students at UT Austin protesting for divestment faced off with state troopers, who arrested 57 people last week and another 79 on Monday. Many have already had their charges dropped.
Mulupi said although they were hungry all night at the jail, it was nothing compared to what the people in Gaza have gone through.
"I think that, if anybody's going to be treated like criminals today, it should probably be the people invested in weapons that kill hundreds of children every day," Mulupi said.
KERA News intern Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.
Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you!
