Identity of Speakers
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Palestine Solidarity Committee
Student
OtherStudent organization that organizes events, protests, and educational activities related to Palestinian rights and issues.
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
Other student-organized event
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
University investigation issuing in sanctions
Student sanctioned
Rally or Protests
Campus police
Other Law Enforcement
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On April 24, 2024, the University of Texas at Austin imposed an interim suspension on the Palestine Solidarity Committee. The suspension barred the group from holding events, reserving space, and receiving funding while the university reviewed its conduct during planned pro-palestinian demonstrations. The PSC had been notified on April 23 that its planned protest violated university policies and institutional rules.
On April 24 and 25, campus police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers arrested dozens of students participating in the demonstrations. The protesters faced criminal trespass charges, but most were later dismissed. The arrests were conducted to enforce campus rules and maintain safety and drew attention and debate over law enforcement tactics and disciplinary policies.
In the weeks following the protests, the university initiated disciplinary proceedings against the students involved. On July 5, 2024, UT Austin offered many of the students a deferred suspension, a form of probation that allowed them to remain enrolled and avoid suspension if they complied with conditions such as reviewing university rules. Students who declined the option would have faced suspension. The PSC’s organizational suspension remained in effect into November 2024, with statements from the group noting ongoing restrictions and calling on the university to reinstate the organization.
Legal challenges followed the protests. On April 30, 2025, four current and former UT Austin students filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, Heilrayne v. University of Texas, alleging that arrests, threats of individual suspension, and restrictions on campus participation violated their First Amendment rights. The lawsuit focused on the students’ treatment during and after the protests; while the PSC suspension was part of the broader context, the suit did not challenge the organizational suspension directly. The events at UT Austin occurred amid a wave of national scrutiny of pro-Palestinian student groups, with similar suspensions and disciplinary actions reported at other universities.
