May 6th, 2025
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Austin, TX | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with co-counsel the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Webber Law, and Project TAHA, has released audio from body camera footage that reveals University of Texas and state law enforcement officers knowingly arrested peaceful student protesters without probable cause during the April 24, 2024 pro-Palestine demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin.
Filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the complaint outlines numerous constitutional and civil rights violations stemming from the April 24 arrests. Students were tackled, zip-tied to the point of injury, and subjected to retaliatory academic discipline—even after criminal charges were dropped for lack of probable cause.
The 37-second edited clip, published for clarity and brevity, includes audio of officers questioning the legality of the arrests they were about to help carry out. The footage further substantiates the claims made in the federal civil rights lawsuit against UT Austin, Governor Greg Abbott, and other state officials. The admissions on tape directly contradict the University and State’s justification for the mass arrests and reinforce the complaint’s core claim: students were targeted and arrested solely because of their pro-Palestine views.
Transcript (edited):
DPS Officer #1:
“We’ve been asking this question, but now what are they doing illegal?… We do this after the Aggie games?”
DPS Officer #2:
“No.”
DPS Officer #3:
“Alright let’s shit or get off the pot.”
DPS Officer #4:
“We’re going to do it so they won’t get agitated.”
DPS Officer #3:
“Which one are we going after? … I don’t know.”
Statement from attorneys from ADC, Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Webber Law, and Project TAHA:
“This released audio makes clear what our clients have said all along—these arrests were politically motivated and executed with full awareness that no laws were broken. Officers couldn’t identify a single illegal act, yet proceeded to forcibly detain students based on vague descriptions and unspoken directives. This is not law enforcement—it’s political repression. Our legal team is united in holding Governor Abbott, UT Austin, and law enforcement accountable for violating the constitutional rights of these students. Free speech, particularly in defense of justice and human rights, is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of American democracy.”
ADC and its partners urge the public to follow this case closely and stand with the brave students who risked their safety and academic standing to speak out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This case is not just about one protest—it’s about defending the bedrock freedoms of speech, assembly, and dissent in America.
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About ADC
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.