UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife on pro-Palestine protests: 'Divestment is not an option'

University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife in addressing the pro-Palestinian demonstrations being held at schools across the system said that divestment from weapons manufacturers that contribute to Israel — as demanded by those protesting — will not happen at UT System institutions.

“Divestment is not an option,” Eltife said. “We will continue to maximize our investments to ensure our students have scholarships and that we can provide an affordable, accessible education.”

Some UT System universities have had protests on their campuses, with those demonstrating calling on the schools to divest from Israel as the Jewish state continues bombarding Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 deadly attack by Hamas, the militant group that governs the region. At UT, more than 130 people have been arrested during demonstrations.

Fifty-seven protesters were jailed during an April 24 protest at UT held in solidarity with other demonstrations at universities across the country. On April 29, 79 protesters were arrested after demonstrators set up a surprise encampment. On May 1, more than 20 people were arrested at an encampment at UT Dallas.

Across the country, more than 2,400 people have been arrested since April 18, the day the first arrests at Columbia University occurred, according to an analysis by CNN.

Many pro-Palestinian organizations and rights groups have called UT's response to the protests excessive as police, some on horseback and others clad in riot gear, descended on the demonstrations on campus and zip tying people before hauling them off to jail. On April 29, police also pepper sprayed protesters to help disperse crowds.

All the criminal trespassing charges for those arrested at UT on April 24 were dropped as they lacked probable cause, officials said. The cases for those arrested April 29 have not been disposed, and at least one man from San Marcos has been charged with illegally carrying a loaded semi-automatic pistol at the campus protest — the first felony-level charge filed in the 136 protest-related arrests.

At the scheduled UT System Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, Eltife said he and the chancellor were involved in all the decisions to call outside law enforcement to campuses, and maintained that it was “the right decision” to ensure safety.

“This board is proud of how this has been handled on all our campuses,” Eltife said. “Anyone that questions our decisions need only to look to Columbia and Yale.”

Eltife reiterated that protest organizers had the “explicit intention of causing disturbance, disrupting campus,” and said that will not be tolerated.

“They thought they could take over our campuses and establish their own set of rules like they tried at other universities,” he said. “That will never happen and that’s not negotiable.”

The UT System has been a vocal supporter of free speech, Eltife said, but added that “institutional policies and restrictions must exist to maintain order, to protect our students and the greater campus community.”

He applauded the Texas Department of Public Safety for its “invaluable” help at the protests to prevent potentially “dangerous situations.” State troopers were called to help UT police at the April 24 and April 29 protests, which resulted in arrests.

DPS officers and DPS director Col. Steve McCraw, who were present at the meeting at Eltife’s invitation, stood up as the board chairman and those in the meeting applauded them.

“We will not hesitate to call upon them again if necessary,” Eltife said.

He also praised police across all UT System institutions who “protect and serve, everyday putting their lives on the line.”

In regards to "talks of no confidence," like the letter more than 600 UT faculty members signed to voice no confidence in UT President Jay Hartzell for his response to the protests, Eltife said the regent board’s opinion is the important one.

“I would say that the vote of no confidence, or of confidence, that matters the most is the vote of this board,” he said. “We will not allow our campuses to be destructed by the few at the expense of the many.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife says 'divestment is not an option'