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'Dehumanizing': Texas student protester on her arrest

STORY: “There were people who were arrested with me who were denied sanitary products,” Heilrayne said. “There were people who were denied food and water. There were people who were thrown in solitary confinement for asking for modest clothing that aligned with their religious observances. It's awful. They treated us very poorly.”The 19-year-old is demanding the university divest its funding to Israel, saying the situation in Gaza was unacceptable. Heilrayne said her misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass was dropped, but is angry at state and university authorities for what she called "mass, state-sanctioned violence against peaceful protesters." During another pro-Palestinian protest at the university on Monday (April 29), state troopers were seen pepper-spraying demonstrators. 79 people were arrested – 45 of whom had no affiliation with the school, according to UT Austin. The Austin local denied allegations that the protests taking place on college campuses across the country were antisemitic.“I would reflect back the voices of the Jewish protesters that have been standing side-by-side with us,” Heilrayne said. “That this is not antisemitic, that this is pro-Palestinian.”A May Day protest scheduled at the university’s South Lawn for Wednesday was postponed to Sunday (May 5).