{"id":127435,"date":"2024-04-24T17:59:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T22:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2024\/04\/24\/protest-texas-college-campus-free-speech-rights\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T17:20:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T22:20:00","slug":"protest-texas-college-campus-free-speech-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2024\/04\/24\/protest-texas-college-campus-free-speech-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what the law says about protesting on Texas college campuses"},"content":{"rendered":"Sign up for The Brief<\/a>, The Texas Tribune\u2019s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.<\/em>\n

Editor’s note: A law passed by state lawmakers in 2025 creates new limits on how people can protest on campus, including an overnight ban on expressive activity for students, campus groups and university employees. The law has been challenged by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Read more here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

In response to the continued Israel-Hamas war, student demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians have drawn scrutiny across the country and in Texas.<\/p>

In late March, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered<\/a> public universities to revise their free speech policies and singled out some pro-Palestine student groups, saying they should be subject to discipline. The order told<\/a> officials for Texas university systems to report back free speech policy changes within 90 days.<\/p>

Still, students and organizations have continued to conduct pro-Palestine demonstrations at several Texas universities. Multiple people have been arrested at UT-Austin during such demonstrations, even though administrators at other Texas universities<\/a> have not responded as aggressively to campus protests.<\/p>

Gov. Greg Abbott has cheered the arrests and called for the students to be expelled. Some students, professors and free speech advocates have criticized the <\/strong>response from UT-Austin and law enforcement, calling it<\/a> “disproportionate” and an “attack on students”.<\/p>

Free speech experts and advocates say students can generally peacefully protest. However, colleges and authorities may still enforce some restrictions and criminal laws to maintain peace and order if they’re applied neutrally and not against a particular viewpoint.<\/p>

When is protesting considered free speech?<\/h2>

The right to protest is protected by the U.S. and Texas constitutions, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas<\/a>. Freedom of speech and assembly means people can engage in symbolic actions and can arrange peaceful marches and protests on certain public lands.<\/p>

But these rights are not without limitations. Government entities and colleges can enact \u201creasonable time, place, and manner\u201d restrictions or regulations as long as they are applied neutrally and don\u2019t discriminate against particular groups or viewpoints. Some colleges have tried to limit protests to smaller, designated \u201cfree speech zones,\u201d but the law has often backed up students peacefully protesting outdoors in open, public areas of campus, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression<\/a>.<\/p>

In 2019, Texas lawmakers passed<\/a> a free speech law<\/a> that established all common outdoor areas at public universities as traditional public forums, allowing anyone \u2013 not just students and university members \u2013 to exercise free speech there, as long as their activities are lawful and don\u2019t disrupt the normal functions of the campus.<\/p>

Protections for free speech are broad and can include controversial viewpoints, but they do not extend to the following:<\/p>