Pro-Palestinian protest on campus remains peaceful

College campuses across the country have been embroiled in protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. While many of those protests have escalated to the point that arrests have been made, including multiple times over the last week at protests on the University of Texas campus in Austin, that wasn’t the case this week at Texas State University.

A pro-Palestine protest was arranged at the Stallion Statues in the Quad, which is one of the common outdoor spaces on the university campus that Texas State deems “traditional public forums” where “expressive activity, demonstrations and protests may take place.” It remained peaceful throughout the duration of the protest. Some of the group’s organizers reportedly said that the protest was inspired by those at the University of Texas. It was hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Committee on campus following what they called a free speech issue involving displaying a Palestinian flag.

Texas State University issued a statement on the protest.

“As a public university, Texas State University has official policies that allow individuals to engage in expressive activity on university property. In response to the event planned [Monday] by a student organization on the San Marcos Campus, TXST will follow established procedures to support participants’ right to safely engage in expressive activity conducted within institutional regulations.”

Sabrina Nodler, who was part of the protest, said that there has been discussion of removing the Palestinian flag from the honors college at TXST unless an Israeli flag was also displayed, an action of which the Palestine Solidarity Committee was vehemently opposed.

Zayna Abdel-Rahim said that being opposed to what she called “genocide, ” in reference to the war in Gaza, does not meant that they are anti-semitic and that this is an issue of free speech. She referenced calls from Texas Governor Greg Abbott that she said were to quash the protests.

For several months now, Palestine supporters have spoken in public comment at the San Marcos City Council meetings requesting that the city of San Marcos request a ceasefire.

The protest at Texas State University had several hundred people in attendance.

The Daily Record reached out to a local Jewish organization, but did not receive any comment on the protest.