Pro-Palestinian, Israel supporters call on Austin City Council to take a stance on war

Amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Texas, dozens of people packed the seats of the Austin City Council Chambers on Thursday to call on the council to pass a resolution taking a stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, which gives people time to speak on topics of their choosing, several pro-Palestinian advocates called on the City Council to pass a resolution supporting a cease-fire.

Israel supporters also came to Thursday's meeting, one speaker calling for the council to pass a resolution that states the city of Austin will not release any statements on a foreign country's policy.

A resolution is a declaration, policy direction or opinion from the City Council.

No council members commented on the matter during Thursday's meeting as of 5 p.m.

This is not the first time people have come to City Hall hoping to move the city's governing body to take a stance on the issue.

Speakers have frequently attended the public comment portion of the meetings to comment on the war since it began in October 2023 — the rows of seats facing the dais filled with both the Israeli and Palestinian flags.

This week, however, some speakers also commented on the use of police force on UT's campus during the protests, where more than 130 people have been arrested in total.

Most of the arrests were made by the University of Texas Police Department but, on Monday, the Austin Police Department made four arrests, according to the Travis County sheriff's office. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in riot gear were also deployed to the campus during some of the protests.

"Like many of you, these actions by APD, UTPD and DPS filled me with a mixture of rage at the violence inflicted upon these kids, sadness about the example we're setting for the next generation and worried about the future of free speech and free assembly in this city," speaker Brian Weldon told the City Council on Thursday.

As protests and arrests continued, some council members have openly called for an executive session to brief the City Council on the Austin Police Department's involvement at the protests.

Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri posted on Monday that he and Council Members José “Chito” Vela and Ryan Alter called for the closed-door briefing on the department's involvement. The post came amid Monday's pro-Palestinian protest where law enforcement tore down an encampment, sprayed protesters with chemical irritants and arrested 79 people.

"I'm dismayed to see APD on campus," Qadri wrote in his Monday post. "Our tax dollars shouldn't be used to violate students' rights to assemble."

In a Wednesday statement to the American-Statesman, the Austin Police Department said it has always provided assistance to other law enforcement agencies when requested.

"When the University of Texas at Austin demonstrations began, UTPD reached out to our agency for assistance," the statement said. "UTPD remained the lead agency for these protests because the demonstrations taking place were within their jurisdiction, which is on campus."

The UT Police Department requested assistance from Austin police at "various levels," the statement said. Initially, Austin police helped take arrested protesters to jail.

"Most recently, as UTPD and DPS developed a plan to disperse the demonstration, it became apparent that additional resources were needed for officer safety and the safety of those taking part in the demonstration," the Wednesday statement said. "As a result, UTPD asked APD to assist with taking individuals into custody."

The statement said the Austin Police Department remains ready to provide assistance to UT police if requested.

The statement also addressed claims of police use of force, saying the Austin Police Department, per standard practice, "reviews all use of force incidents involving our officers even when assisting another agency."

Statesman staff writer Skye Seipp contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Pro-Palestine, Israel supporters want Austin City Council stance on war