Law enforcement mobilizing at UT Dallas campus

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