AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement on Greg Abbott’s DPS escalation at University at Austin’s campus protest:

“Today, Greg Abbott’s DPS has more courage to arrest peaceful student protesters than when an active shooter entered an elementary school in Uvalde. This is yet another gross misuse of state-funds for campaign ads at the expense of UT students’ safety. It is beyond clear that Greg Abbott does not care about first amendment rights, Texans’ freedoms, the loss of Palestinian life, or Israeli hostages – he only cares about himself. Once again, Texas Republicans are hellbent on placing our basic rights on the chopping block for political gain.”