Law enforcement mobilizing at UT Dallas campus
Summary
TLDRCBS News Texas reports live from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) where law enforcement agencies, including the Dallas County Sheriff, state troopers, and Richardson Police, have mobilized to dismantle a student-led encampment. The students had set up the camp to protest the university's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, vowing to remain until their demands were met. Initially peaceful, the protest escalated with arrests as authorities moved to clear the encampment, citing trespassing risks and school discipline for those who stayed. Despite warnings, many demonstrators chose to stay, leading to several arrests. The situation highlights the challenge universities face in balancing free speech with maintaining campus秩序 (order), especially during critical times like final exams. The swift law enforcement response also raises questions about the potential for similar actions at other campuses facing similar protests.
Takeaways
- 📢 Students at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) established a camp demanding action regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- ⛺️ The university initially seemed to allow the demonstrators to occupy part of the campus, but law enforcement later mobilized to remove the encampment.
- 🚔 Law enforcement, including the Dallas County Sheriff, state troopers, and Richardson police, moved in quickly, leading to several arrests.
- 🚨 Students were given a warning via a letter from the administration, stating that they were allowed to protest peacefully but not to establish an encampment.
- 🤝 The majority of the organizers were students, but community members and other groups were also invited to join the protest.
- 👮♂️ Law enforcement focused on dismantling the encampment rather than dispersing the protesters, who were allowed to remain on the campus perimeter.
- 🔍 There was a significant police presence, including multiple law enforcement agencies, indicating a coordinated effort to manage the situation.
- 📉 The number of protesters fluctuated throughout the day, with some attending classes and returning, and others joining from the community.
- 🌪️ There was mention of severe weather expected overnight, which may have influenced the decision to clear the encampment for safety reasons.
- 🏛️ The university administration faced a challenge balancing the protesters' right to free speech with the need to maintain a safe and uninterrupted educational environment.
- 📉 The situation raised concerns about the impact of protests on the end-of-year activities and the potential consequences for students involved in the demonstrations.
Q & A
What was the reason for the student encampment at UT Dallas?
-The students established a camp, vowing to stay until the school meets their demands over the war in Israel and Palestine.
How did the university initially respond to the encampment?
-Initially, it seemed the university was going to allow the demonstrators to take over part of the campus.
What changed the university's stance on allowing the encampment?
-The situation changed drastically when law enforcement started to mobilize and move in, with the organizers receiving a letter from the administration stating that while they were allowed to peacefully protest, they would not be allowed to have an encampment or any sort of structures.
Which law enforcement agencies were involved in the response?
-The agencies involved included the Dallas County Sheriff, state troopers, Richardson Police, U.S. Marshals, Collin County Sheriff, and the University of Texas System police.
What was the timeframe given to protesters before law enforcement moved in?
-The organizers had about 10 to 15 minutes after receiving a letter from the administration to decide whether to disperse or face arrest.
Were the majority of the protesters students?
-Based on the reporter's observations, the majority of the organizers were students, although as the day went on, more people not affiliated with the university joined the protest.
What was the reaction of the protesters when law enforcement began making arrests?
-Some of the protesters, although initially peaceful, began to fight back against law enforcement, leading to a few arrests.
What was the nature of the encampment that led to the law enforcement response?
-The encampment consisted of tents, awnings, and other structures like particleboard and pallets. It was the establishment of this encampment that led to the law enforcement intervention.
How did the university administration communicate the decision to the protesters?
-The administration communicated the decision through a letter that was read out to the protesters by one of the student organizers.
What was the role of the Jewish students in the context of this protest?
-Some Jewish students on campus expressed discomfort with the encampment escalating from a sit-in to an actual encampment, as they felt it infringed on the space of others and crossed a line regarding time, place, and manner.
What was the potential impact of severe weather on the encampment?
-The reporter considered that the severe weather expected overnight could have posed a risk to the protesters with tents and structures, potentially leading to a dangerous situation.
Outlines
📰 Breaking News: Student Encampment at UT Dallas
Law enforcement is mobilizing at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) where students have set up an encampment to protest the school's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Initially, the university appeared to allow the demonstration, but law enforcement began to move in after the organizers received a letter from the administration stating that while peaceful protests were permitted, establishing an encampment or structures on campus was not, and could lead to arrests for trespassing. The situation escalated with arrests being made and the encampment being dismantled.
👮♂️ Law Enforcement Response and Arrests
The situation at UTD changed rapidly with law enforcement, including the Dallas County Sheriff, state troopers, and Richardson Police, moving in to arrest protesters and dismantle the encampment. The student organizers had warned against vandalism and had not anticipated the swift law enforcement response. Despite this, many protesters chose to stay and were subsequently arrested. The presence of multiple law enforcement agencies indicates a coordinated effort to clear the encampment.
🗣️ Protesters' Shift and Law Enforcement's Stand
After the encampment was dismantled, protesters moved to the outer edges of the area and continued their demonstration. Law enforcement, having taken control of the central area, did not attempt to disperse the protesters further. The organizers had made it clear that while they intended to protest peacefully, they would not be deterred by the possibility of arrests or the school's disapproval of the encampment.
🏛️ University's Response and Impact on Students
The university administration faced a challenge in balancing the protection of free speech with the maintenance of educational activities for non-participating students. The timing of the protest, during the final weeks of classes and finals, raised concerns about the impact on students' academic progress. The administration had not communicated a specific plan to handle the protests, leading to uncertainty and unease among some students.
🌪️ Severe Weather and Encampment Safety
The clearing of the encampment coincided with the forecast of severe weather, which could have posed a risk to the protesters. The potential for damage from high winds was noted, and the swift action by law enforcement may have also served to protect the protesters from the impending storms. The focus of law enforcement was on ensuring that the encampment was dismantled and not on further engaging with the protesters who had moved to the perimeter.
🔍 Observations on the Protest and Future Implications
The reporter observed that the protest had grown in numbers throughout the day, with students and community members participating. The approach taken by law enforcement at UTD, providing a short warning before moving in to dismantle the encampment, may set a precedent for how similar situations are handled at other campuses. The protest was largely peaceful, with organizers instructing participants to avoid vandalism and aggressive behavior.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Law Enforcement
💡Student Protest
💡Encampment
💡Arrest
💡University Administration
💡Peaceful Protest
💡Trespassing
💡Community Members
💡
💡Finals
💡Severe Weather
💡Public Order
Highlights
Law enforcement began mobilizing at an encampment at UT Dallas where students had established a camp.
Students vowed to stay until the school meets their demands over the war in Israel and Palestine.
Initially, the university seemed to allow the demonstrators to occupy part of the campus.
In the last 10 minutes, law enforcement, including a sheriff from Dallas County and state troopers, moved in.
An arrest occurred during the law enforcement's intervention.
Student organizers received a letter from the administration stating they could protest peacefully but not establish an encampment.
The organizers did not want any vandalism and were prepared to stay until their demands were met.
Law enforcement acted quickly with very little warning to dismantle the encampment.
There was a clear distinction between peaceful protesting and the establishment of an unauthorized encampment.
The majority of the organizers were students, but community members and other groups also joined the protest.
The situation escalated with physical resistance from some demonstrators during arrests.
Different law enforcement agencies, including the Dallas County Sheriff and U.S. Marshals, were involved in the operation.
The university administration and law enforcement had been discussing how to handle the protest throughout the day.
Students expressed discomfort with the situation and some felt unsafe on campus.
The encampment was taken down quickly by law enforcement, and only those who resisted were arrested.
Protesters who did not get arrested moved to the outer edges of the encampment and continued their demonstration.
The university made it clear that while peaceful protest was allowed, an encampment or claiming a section of the campus was not permitted.
The protest and encampment were occurring during the last week of classes and finals, causing concern for the university administration.
Transcripts
THIS IS CBS NEWS TEXAS.
BREAKING NEWS AS WE COME TO
YOU AT 4:00. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS
STARTING TO MOBILIZE AT AN
ENCAMPMENT AT UT DALLAS.
STUDENTS HAVE ESTABLISHED A
CAMP, VOWING TO STAY UNTIL THE
SCHOOL MEETS THEIR DEMANDS OVER
THE WAR IN ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE. WE WANT TO GET TO
JASON ALLEN LIVE IN RICHARDSON
NOW.
JUST UNTIL A FEW MOMENTS
AGO, IT SEEMED THE UNIVERSITY
WAS GOING TO ALLOW THESE
DEMONSTRATORS TO TAKE OVER PART
OF CAMPUS, BUT AS WE CAN SEE
NOW, THAT IS CHANGING.
Reporter: YEAH, THIS HAS
CHANGED DRASTICALLY IN THE LAST
30 SECONDS, AND WE ARE GOING TO
MOVE BECAUSE WE WANT TO STAY ON
THE EDGE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING.
JUST IN THE LAST MINUTE OR SO,
REALLY, IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES,
WE SAW LAW ENFORCEMENT START TO
MOVE IN HERE. WE HAVE NOT SEEN
ANY OF THEIR PRESENCE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SINCE HE
ENCAMPMENT WAS STARTED EARLY
THIS MORNING BEFORE SUNRISE,
BUT IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES, YOU
CAN SEE A SHERIFF FROM DALLAS
COUNTY. THERE ARE STATE
TROOPERS HERE. I THOUGHT
RICHARDSON POLICE HERE. A
NUMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES. THERE IS AN ARREST
HAPPENING RIGHT HERE. MAKE SURE
YOU DON'T GO TOO FAR, ROBERT.
IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES, THEY
ALL MOVED UP SUDDENLY. THE
ORGANIZERS OF THE STUDENT
PROTEST JUST BEFORE THIS RENTAL
LETTER TO PEOPLE HERE AT THE
CAMP SAYING THEY HAD RECEIVED A
LETTER FROM ADMINISTRATION
TELLING THEM THAT WHILE THEY
WERE ALLOWED TO PEACEFULLY
PROTEST, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE
ALLOWED TO HAVE AN ENCAMPMENT
OR ANY SORT OF STRUCTURES, AND
ANY ATTEMPT TO STAY IN THE CAMP
OR HAVE STRUCTURES UP COULD PUT
THEM AT RISK OF BEING ARRESTED
FOR TRESPASSING, AND FACE OTHER
CHARGES FROM THE SCHOOL. THERE
IS SOME ABSOLUTE -- THERE IS A
FIGHT HAPPENING RIGHT HERE, AS
ONE OF THE DEMONSTRATORS IS
FIGHTING BACK AGAINST LAW
ENFORCEMENT, WHO HAVE GONE INTO
MAKE AN ARREST. THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT ORGANIZERS TOLD
PEOPLE THEY DID NOT WANT TO
DON'T HAVE ANY VANDALISM, BUT
THEY ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT
THEY WERE NOT GOING TO GO
ANYWHERE IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS
HAPPENED. THEY WERE GOING TO
UNTIL THEIR DEMANDS WERE MET BY
THE UNIVERSITY. YOU CAN SEE
THIS MAN, RIGHT HERE, THE
CAMERA IS ON HIM. HE IS
STRUGGLING WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT, YELLING, FIGHTING
BACK. THIS IS PROBABLY THE
THIRD OR FOURTH ARREST I HAVE
SEEN, SO FAR. LAW ENFORCEMENT
CAME IN QUICKLY, AS I SAID,
VERY LITTLE WARNING, OTHER THAN
THE LETTER THAT WAS READ FROM
ONE OF THE STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS TO THE GROUP THAT
HAD GATHERED HERE, AND THAT WAS
ABOUT 10 MINUTES AGO. THEY DID
TELL PEOPLE, WHO THEY THOUGHT
MIGHT BE AT RISK, GO AHEAD AND
GET OUT OF THE CAMP, MOVE BACK
IF YOU ARE VULNERABLE. A LOT OF
PEOPLE WERE CHANTING MOMENTS
AGO THAT THEY DID NOT INTEND TO
GO ANYWHERE AT ALL. THEY WERE
GOING TO STAY RIGHT HERE AND BE
ARRESTED IF THEY NEEDED TO BE,
SO NOW WHAT YOU SEE IS LAW
ENFORCEMENT, VERY QUICKLY,
THE OVERHANGS, THE AWNINGS.
I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU, ROBERT.
WE ARE TRYING TO SAY BACK HERE
AS WELL, AND STAY ON THE
PERIMETER , SO THAT WE CAN SEE
THIS AND COVER THIS, BUT NOT
PUT OURSELVES IN THE WAY OF
ANYTHING. I WANT YOU TO SEE
THAT , SHERIFF AND STATE
TROOPERS HAVE NOW PUT TOGETHER
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LINES.
THERE IS THIS LINE WE ARE ON
THE OUTSIDE OF, AND AN INTERIOR
LINE THAT IS SLOWLY AND
METHODICALLY MOVING UP. THIS IS
WHERE THE MAIN ENCAMPMENT HAS
BEEN FOR MOST OF THE DAY, KEN
AND KAREN. THIS IS WHERE IT
ORIGINALLY STARTED, AND IT
STARTED TO GROW AND MOVE OUT AS
PEOPLE HAD COME IN HERE TO BE
PART OF THIS. WE WATCHED IT
GROW. BUT, IT'S NOW BEING
QUICKLY TORN DOWN. THIS WAS
PARTICLEBOARD. THIS WAS
PALLETS. THERE ARE TIRES THAT
ARE CHAINED TO TREES, SO NOT
ALL OF THIS WILL BE EASILY
TAKEN DOWN. YOU ARE OKAY.
SORRY, I WAS STUMBLING OVER
SOME PEOPLE. AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE ARE A TON OF SUPPLIES.
WATER, FOOD, AND THEY HAVE BEEN
BRINGING STUFF THROUGHOUT THE
DAY. I WILL STOP FOR A SECOND
TO LET YOU INTERJECT OR ASK A
QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU A
QUESTION, JASON, BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ALL
DAY. YOU SAID IT HAS BEEN
GROWING. YOU CAN SEE THE
BOTTLES OF WATER, LIKE THEY
WERE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL,
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN COMING. YOU HAVE HAD
A CHANCE TO TALK TO THESE
FOLKS. HOW MANY OF THESE PEOPLE
ARE STUDENTS? WOW, YEAH, WE
HAVE SEEN IN A NUMBER OF CASES
AT CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WHERE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE
BEING ARRESTED AREN'T RELATED
TO THE SCHOOL IN ANY WAY. THEY
ARE NOT ACTUALLY STUDENTS
THERE. CAN YOU TELL US --
Reporter: I CAN TELL YOU,
BASED ON WHAT I HAVE SEEN, THE
MAJORITY , ESPECIALLY, THE
ORGANIZERS HAVE BEEN STUDENTS.
THAT'S WHAT I COULD TELL. NOW,
I WILL SAY THAT AT THE VERY
BEGINNING THIS MORNING, EARLY
ON, ORGANIZERS WERE SAYING,
COMMUNITY MEMBERS , COME ON
OUT. OTHER GROUPS, COME ON OUT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STUDENT
DAY HAS GONE ON, WE HAVE
WATCHED MORE PEOPLE COME, WHO
ARE CLEARLY, NOT STUDENTS.
ROBERT CAN YOU TURN AROUND AND
CATCH THAT, RIGHT THERE, ON THE
SIDEWALK. SORRY, I WAS TRYING
TO GET HIM TO GET A PICTURE OF
ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS, WHO IS A
STUDENT, A SOPHOMORE, I THINK
SHE SAID, WHO WAS JUST BEING
ARRESTED BY POLICE HERE. TO GET
BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, KAREN,
YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF
STUDENTS, BUT IT HAS BEEN CLEAR
THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT MORE
AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE JOINED
THIS, WHO ARE NOT AFFILIATED
WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
JASON, I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN
COVERING THESE PROTESTS FOR
AUSTIN AS WELL, AND FROM WHAT
WE ARE SEEING, THESE IMAGES
THAT ARE COMING BACK ALIVE
RIGHT NOW, IT DOES LOOK LIKE A
SITUATION THAT'S GOING TO
DETERIORATE QUICKLY. I'M
EXPERIENCE COVERING THESE TYPES
OF EVENTS, PROTESTS, AT WHAT
POINT DO YOU GET A SENSE THAT,
PEPPER BALLS OR TEARGAS MIGHT
BE INTRODUCED IN SOME OF THE
MEASURES TO CONTROL THE CROWD?
ARE WE TO THAT POINT YET?
Reporter: WE ARE NOT THERE
ENFORCEMENT EVEN ATTEMPT TO USE
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, TO THIS
POINT. TYPICALLY, WHEN YOU SEE
THAT , IS WHEN PEOPLE, WHO ARE
HERE AS PART OF THE GROUP, AND
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TRYING TO
MOVE OUT, AND THAT MAY BE AT
ONE OF THE CAMPUS EVENTS ARE
ONE OF THE DEMONSTRATIONS OR
PROTESTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER
THE LAST TWO YEARS. IT'S WHEN
THE LINE WON'T MOVE. IT'S
WHEN PEOPLE WON'T SUBMIT TO
BEING ARRESTED. WHEN YOU SEE
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HERE NOW,
MOST OF THEM ARE BEING ARRESTED
RESISTING AT ALL. WE HAVE SEEN
A FEW PEOPLE THROW SOME PUNCHES
AND FIGHT BACK AND STRUGGLE. IF
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE,
WHO STARTED TO DO THAT, AND
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SEE INTO
THE MAIN CAMP RIGHT NOW. IF
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO DID THAT, THAT MAYBE WHEN
YOU START TO SEE SOME OF THOSE
OTHER TOOLS USED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT. I JUST WANT TO
POINT OUT, THAT LINE ON THE
EDGE OF CAMP IS MOVING INTO THE
CENTER NOW, SO ANYBODY ON THE
EDGES HAS BEEN MOVED OUT.
ANYONE IN THE CENTER, WHO IS
HOLDING FAST, THAT IS WHERE LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS GOING, AND THEY
ARE QUICKLY OVERTURNING TENTS,
TEARING THEM DOWN, RIPPING DOWN
THE PALESTINIAN FLAGS THAT ARE
MOVE TO GET RID OF THIS AS
QUICKLY AS THEY CAN.
JASON, REITERATE FOR US, IF
YOU WOULD, THE DIFFERENT LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE
OUT THERE. YOU MENTIONED STATE
TROOPERS. WHO ELSE?
Reporter: I CAN SEE THE
DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF. LET'S
SEE, THERE ARE U.S. MARSHALS. I
SEE COLLIN COUNTY SHERIFF
REPRESENTED, UT DALLAS,
OBVIOUSLY IS HERE. POLICE FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
IN. I WANT TO GO BACK TOO AND
REMIND YOU THAT THROUGHOUT THE
DAY, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THE
UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING
UNIVERSITY POLICE, WHAT THE
PLAN WAS -- WERE THEY GOING TO
LET THIS STAND? IN FACT, I
STUDENTS THIS AFTERNOON, WHO
SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET
WITH THE DEAN OF STUDENTS ON
CAMPUS, BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WAS
HAPPENING HERE. THERE ARE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE
TODAY, SAYING THEY DID NOT FEEL
COMFORTABLE BEING ON CAMPUS.
THEY WERE WORRIED IT WAS BEING
ALLOWED TO ESCALATE, OR BUILD
UP TO THIS LEVEL, BUT THEY HAD
BEEN TOLD BY ADMINISTRATORS BUT
THERE WEREN'T SPECIFICALLY ANY
RULES AGAINST SETTING UP A TENT
OR SLEEPING ON CAMPUS, AND THAT
THE GATHERING, TO THIS POINT,
HAD BEEN PEACEFUL, SO THERE WAS
NOT ANY INTENT TO MOVE THEM
OUT. CLEARLY, THAT CHANGED, OR
THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS OR
NEGOTIATIONS HAPPENING THAT WE
WERE NOT AWARE OF, AND THAT
THOSE STUDENTS WERE NOT
INFORMED OF OR PRIVY TO,
BECAUSE THIS LAW ENFORCEMENT
PRESENCE, CLEARLY, OBVIOUSLY,
THEY WERE PREPARING FOR THIS
FOR MOST OF THE DAY, AND WHEN
THEY MADE THE MOVE TO COME IN,
IT HAS HAPPENED VERY, VERY
FAST.
YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS
ANNOUNCED TO THE STUDENTS, TO
THE CROWD, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT
WILL BE COMING IN TO GIVE THEM
TIME TO DISPERSE, IF THEY
CHOSE?
Reporter: WELL, ONE OF THE
ANNOUNCED IT TO THE KIDS THAT
WERE GATHERED. I SHOULDN'T SAY
KIDS, THE GROUP THAT WAS
GATHERED. THERE WASN'T ANY
DIRECT COMMUNICATION, THAT WE
SAW, TO THE GROUP FOR MANY
SCHOOL OFFICIALS OR STAFF. ONE
OF THE ORGANIZERS HAD A LETTER
IN THEIR HAND. I SAW IT, IT WAS
READ VERBATIM A FEW PARAGRAPHS
AND SAID, IF YOU DON'T LEAVE,
YOU COULD BE SUBJECT TO
TRESPASSING CHARGES AND OTHER
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE. THEN, THEY
HAD, I'M GOING TO SAY, 10
MINUTES, MAYBE LESS BEFORE WE
STARTED TO SEE LAW ENFORCEMENT
MOVE IN. THEY HAD TIME TO MAKE
A VERY, VERY GOOD DECISION.
ARRESTED, AND THEY COULD MOVE
TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAMP THAT
HAD BEEN SET UP, AND WE SAW FEW
PEOPLE DO THAT, JUST MOVE AWAY
TO THE EDGES, BUT MOST OF THE
PEOPLE, WHO HAD BEEN HERE MOST
OF THE DAY, THEY DEFINITELY
STAYED WHERE THEY WERE, SO
THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE ARRESTS
THE LAST 10 MINUTES. SORRY, I
AM JUST FINDING ROBERT AGAIN SO
WE CAN MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT A LOT OF THE
DEMONSTRATORS HAVE NOW MOVED TO
THE OUTER EDGES, WHERE THEY
CONTINUED THE CHANTING AND
DEMONSTRATION. ONE OF THE
THINGS IN THAT LETTER THAT WAS
READ BY THE STUDENT ORGANIZERS
WAS, STUDENTS WERE WELCOME TO
PROTEST, WILL COME TO HAVE A
PEACEFUL PROTEST, BUT THEY
WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE AN
ENCAMPMENT OR TO CLAIM A
SECTION OF THE CAMPUS LIKE THEY
DID STARTING VERY EARLY THIS
MORNING.
JASON, WE ARE GETTING A LIVE
SHOT RIGHT NOW FROM THE
CHOPPER, SO WE ARE GETTING A
CHANCE TO SEE THIS OVERHEAD.
PROBABLY, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE FROM WHAT YOU HAVE
ON THE GROUND, BUT I CAN TELL
YOU, THE CAMERA IS PULLING OUT,
ZOOMING OUT, AND YOU CAN SEE A
LINE OF THE OFFICERS STANDING
FACE-TO-FACE WITH SOME OF THE
DEMONSTRATORS BEHIND WHAT LOOKS
TO BE A WAIST HIGH WALL.
IT'S LIKE PLYWOOD, THINGS
LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE -- LOOK AT
WHAT WAS THE ENCAMPMENT. ALL OF
THE TENTS ARE FLIPPED UP, AND
EVERYTHING IS THROWN ACROSS THE
GROUND. JASON, WE ARE SEEING
THE GROUP OF DEMONSTRATORS
THERE. YOU GET THE SENSE THAT
THEY ARE THINNING OUT, OR DID
THEY SIMPLY MOVE, THOSE THAT
DID NOT GET ARRESTED? DID THEY
JUST SHIFT OVER?
Reporter: YEAH, THEY REALLY
DID. MOST OF THEM SHIFTED OVER.
THEY SHIFTED OUTSIDE OF THE
BOUNDARIES OF THE ENCAMPMENT,
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE
LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN, AND WE
HAVE SEEN THIS AT UT AUSTIN A
COUPLE OF TIMES NOW, WHERE
PROTEST. I HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE
WHEN THE PROTESTS WERE
PEACEFUL. BUT, ONCE PEOPLE MADE
AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO BUILD
STRUCTURES, CAMPOUT, CLAIM A
SPACE AS THERE IS, AND NOT
SOMETHING FOR THE PUBLIC,
THAT'S WHEN WE SAW LAW
ENFORCEMENT MOVE IN. THAT WAS A
BIG QUESTION FOR MOST OF THE
DAY, BECAUSE WE SAW THE CAMP
MOVING, SO WE WERE ASKING WHAT
THE INTENT WAS, AND WE
DEFINITELY GOT OUR ANSWER THIS
AFTERNOON. JUST TO TALK ABOUT
STRUCTURES AND THE BARRICADES,
YES, IT IS MOSTLY THIN PLYWOOD.
PRESSBOARD, ALTHOUGH, AS I'M
LOOKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
IT, A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN BUILT
UP AND PROPPED UP WITH TWO BY
FOURS, TO BE FAIRLY STURDY, AND
IT HAD BEEN GETTING BIGGER
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THERE WERE
PEOPLE THAT WERE PROHIBITED
FROM COMING IN. WE WERE NEVER
ABLE TO GO INSIDE. ANY STUDENT
THAT CAME TO THE ENTRANCE AND
ASKED TO GO IN WERE TOLD THAT
THEY COULD, AS LONG AS THEY