UT president defends handling of campus Palestine protests in op-ed

UT president defends protest handling: op-ed

UT Austin president Jay Hartzell has received criticism for his handling of on-campus protests. Now, Hartzell is firing back and defending his decision to call DPS troopers to campus.

AUSTIN, Texas - University of Texas President Jay Hartzell has received criticism for his handling of the recent Palestine protests on UT campus.

Now, Hartzell is firing back and defending his decision to call state troopers to campus.

The UT president released a new op-ed featured in the Houston Chronicle.

College protests: Hundreds arrested nationwide

There continues to be conflict between police and Palestine protesters on college campuses nationwide. FOX's Christina Coleman reports.

Hartzell says many of the protesters were not affiliated with the university, and organizers declined meetings to ensure they followed university policy.

Hartzell points to the set-up of on-campus encampments.

Requests to remove tents and disperse were ignored by protesters.

MORE UT PROTEST COVERAGE

The UT president says he's disappointed there had to be arrests, but he wanted to prevent the chaos that continues on campuses, including UCLA and Columbia University.

Since last week, more than 100 people have been arrested on-campus for a variety of charges, though mostly for criminal trespass.