Fact Check: "Over 150 students arrested during Texas campus protests last April"
What We Know
The claim that "over 150 students were arrested during Texas campus protests last April" is misleading. According to a statement from the University of Texas at Austin, during a specific protest on April 29, 2024, 79 individuals were arrested, of which 45 had no affiliation with the university (UT News). This indicates that the number of arrests involving actual UT students was significantly lower than the claim suggests.
Furthermore, reports indicate that the broader context of protests across various universities resulted in over 2,000 arrests nationwide, but this figure encompasses multiple campuses and is not specific to Texas or the University of Texas at Austin (Washington Post).
Analysis
The claim appears to conflate the total number of arrests from nationwide protests with the specific situation at the University of Texas. The 79 arrests reported at UT Austin during the April protests were part of a larger movement that saw significant police activity across the country, but the assertion that "over 150 students" were arrested in Texas is not supported by the available data.
The sources used to verify this claim are credible. The University of Texas statement is an official communication from the institution, providing direct insight into the events on its campus. The Washington Post's reporting relies on a compilation of data from various protests, which, while comprehensive, does not specifically attribute the total arrests to Texas alone.
Moreover, the New York Times and AP News also report on the arrests, but they emphasize the broader context of protests rather than focusing solely on Texas (New York Times, AP News).
Given that the claim inaccurately represents the number of arrests specifically tied to Texas students and misrepresents the context of nationwide protests, it lacks factual support.
Conclusion
Verdict: False. The claim that "over 150 students were arrested during Texas campus protests last April" is misleading. The actual number of arrests at the University of Texas at Austin was 79, with a significant portion of those individuals having no affiliation with the university. The broader context of nationwide protests does not justify the claim as it pertains specifically to Texas.
Sources
- UT Statement Regarding Arrests from Monday's Protest and ... - UT News
- Riot police and over 2,000 arrests: A look at 2 weeks of campus protests - Washington Post
- Where College Protesters Have Been Arrested or Detained - New York Times
- Prosecutors drop nearly 80 arrests from a pro-Palestinian protest at ... - AP News
- University of Texas Palestine protest leads to almost 60 arrests - Fox 7 Austin
- 79 arrested amid second crackdown on UT-Austin campus - Texas Tribune
