The University of Texas-Austin is handling campus protests a little differently than some other universities. UT-A's Faculty Council met on Tuesday morning to vote on a resolution defending the First Amendment on campus and a call for amnesty for protesters who were arrested. 

The council did the right thing. It did not bow to the malcontents who are cosplaying as Hamas terrorists. 

New: @UTAustin’s Faculty Council voted in a meeting this morning on a resolution defending the First Amendment right to free speech on campus and a call for amnesty for pro-Palestinian protesters

The motion failed, with 24 voting no, 21 voting yes and 4 abstaining. More below: pic.twitter.com/OcRMiV2vRm

— Megan Menchaca (@meganmmenchaca) May 7, 2024

The full resolution is below. It calls for:
- UT President Jay Hartzell to stop using “militarized police to disperse protesters on campus and make arrests’
- Amnesty for everyone who was arrested during protests
- The reinstatement of the Palestine Solidarity Committee at UT pic.twitter.com/xNxaw2KzHY

— Megan Menchaca (@meganmmenchaca) May 7, 2024

The primary concerns that some faculty expressed about the resolution include:
- Not nuanced and/or lacking university response/context
- Could undermine the council’s credibility
- Playing into the hands of detractors
- Not enough time to consider it after receiving it on Monday

— Megan Menchaca (@meganmmenchaca) May 7, 2024

It's good to see some common sense. No, protesters should not receive amnesty. They are adults. They were given the university's rules about protests. Yes, they were welcome to express their opinions within their First Amendment rights. The First Amendment, though, doesn't include taking over school property by pitching tents and blocking Jewish students and faculty from entering buildings. 

The return of the Palestine Solidarity Committee on campus should be forbidden. They organized protests which led to chaos. I was happy to see the police move in, some on horseback, to restore order. The longer the chaos is allowed to go on, the more dangerous and disruptive the situation gets for everyone. 

UT President Jay Hartzell is taking heat from faculty members who side with the Hamas sympathizers. They sign petitions to remove Hartzell from his office because he doesn't agree with them. They are the ones who are filling the heads of students with anti-Israel hatred and Hamas propaganda. 

The students who participate in the protests are not rethinking their actions. They are ready to double down.

For example, Ammer Qaddumi is a Palestinian-American student. He is studying economics and government. 

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest," he chants along with hundreds of students at the University of Texas at Austin's south lawn.

"We must advocate for Palestine, to ensure that people understand the narrative, the Palestinian narrative, the history of the Palestinian struggle," Qaddumi told NPR Sunday

"We will continue to come out and advocate for Palestine no matter what obstacles UT administration, our state government tries to put in our way," Qaddumi said. 

He knows that in Travis County he will be released quickly if he is arrested. He was the first one arrested when the protests began on campus, nearly two weeks ago. His charges were dropped. Most students who were arrested were charged with criminal trespass.

Brian Davis, a spokesperson for UT Austin, told NPR in an email that students violated several institutional rules, which include attempting to establish an encampment, unauthorized use of amplified sound, and shoving staff. However, no student has been charged with assault.

It's unclear if these students would be put on probation, suspended, or expelled.

We know the protesters won't be getting amnesty.

We also now know that graduation will not be canceled at UT-A. That is excellent news for students and parents alike. Protests or not, commencement is happening as planned.

The University of Texas at Austin will go forward with its graduation ceremony, which takes place on Saturday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m., a UT spokesperson confirmed to MySA. Doors to the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where commencement will take place, open at 6 p.m. that day, and graduate students should be in their seats by 7:10 p.m., according to the UT-Austin website.

Although MySA asked UT Austin whether there would be an increased police presence or censorship of pro-Palestinian speakers during the ceremony, the university spokesperson said “We don’t comment on security.” Standard security measures are in place at the stadium, which has a clear bag policy and prohibits weapons. All bags will be searched prior to entry, according to the security section on the UT-Austin commencement website.

I feel for graduating students this year who are finding their commencements canceled because the university administration has lost control. The Class of 2024 was robbed of their high school graduations in 2020 because of the pandemic. Imagine being denied two milestones in their young lives when they have worked to arrive at this moment. A minority of spoiled brats and professional outside agitators should not be allowed to win this battle. 

Good luck to those graduating this weekend.