AUSTIN, TX — Today, MOVE Texas, a leading voice for young Texans and student organizers across the state, stands firmly against the ongoing attempts by Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to curtail the free speech of students and young people expressing solidarity with Palestine on college campuses across Texas.
Recent actions and statements from extremist state leadership have made it clear that there is a concerted effort to impose ideological conformity on our higher education institutions and limit democratic participation. Governor Abbott’s executive order singling out two student Palestinian groups illuminates a concerning path that not only threatens the fundamental freedoms of speech and expression but also aims to reshape these institutions into echo chambers that support a singular, state-sanctioned viewpoint.
In response, MOVE Texas Action Fund’s Political Director, Stephanie Gómez, issued the following statement:
“Today, students at the University of Texas at Austin organized a peaceful protest in solidarity with Gaza and were met with police violence. When authorities respond to dissent with force rather than dialogue, it not only suppresses the voices of young people but also erodes the very foundation of democracy itself.
From limiting the right to cast ballots to denying us the right to bodily autonomy and attacking our communities, Governor Abbott is consistently overreaching his power to limit the rights of young Texans and our communities – and now, he has come for free speech and the right to protest. We cannot allow our state leadership’s free reign to exercise control on our public institution to advance his hateful ideology.
Our communities, our families, and our schools and universities must be protected from state violence, and our students must be allowed to peacefully protest on campus without physical intimidation. MOVE Texas will always stand with Texas’ young organizers, activists, and leaders. We remain alert and committed to ensuring that young Texans’ voices are heard, the right to organize is respected, and that the expression of dissent is protected in all political settings.
The young people of Gaza and the young people of Texas are connected. They each are bearing the brunt of a broken democracy. With young people constituting half of Gaza’s population, every protest, march, testimony, and disruption by young Texans in solidarity with Palestinians deepens this connection. Our shared journey toward justice knows no borders and works toward a future of compassion, equity, and democracy.”
####
