AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released most of the body camera footage the agency says is available from the April 24 pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Austin.
That operation, which led to dozens of arrests, drew criticism from protesters and others, who say what happened infringed on protesters' right to free speech and was overly aggressive.
The videos show DPS troopers lining up and entering the campus, where hundreds of protesters gathered on the South Lawn.
"We're moving forward! Make sure they know we are moving forward," one trooper can be heard saying.
The videos show that troopers used their batons to push back the crowd at times. At one point, the footage shows officers giving orders to clear the area.
"This is the University of Texas Police Department. We are going to continue making arrests until you disperse," one officer says.
Some portions of the footage show arrests happening, but the videos don't reveal what specifically led to those arrests.
The videos also show some confusion from those on campus about why and how protesters could be arrested.
"How is this possible? Why are you guys arresting students?" one protester asks.
Between the two large protests at UT on April 24 and 29, more than 130 people were taken into custody. Some of those arrested were students, but many were unaffiliated with the university.
For many protesters, the charges were quickly dropped.