One person possibly injured after UNT protest against student-organized event escalates
One student may have been injured during a protest Wednesday at the University of North Texas in Denton after protesters surrounded a campus police car and the officer inside drove away, according to a statement from the university president.
UNT President Neal Smatresk said in a statement sent out to the university community that the protests were in response to a guest speaker at a Young Conservatives of Texas meeting in Curry Hall.
Smatresk said the protest was sparked because the speaker, Texas House candidate Jeff Younger, previously shared controversial opinions on criminalizing operations and hormone therapy for minors who identify as transgender.
Smatresk said that at one point, protesters ended up “swarming police, who were working to safely escort both the guest speaker and student organizers off campus.” State Troopers with the Department of Public Safety were called in to “assist with maintaining safety.”
Video of the incident posted on Twitter shows a police vehicle with emergency lights on driving through campus roads when a group of protesters, who Smatresk said in his statement are not believed to be members of the UNT community, surrounded the vehicle. The police vehicle honked its horn several times, slowing to a crawl but not stopping before it sped up and left the area.
Police on foot appeared to tell protesters to back away from the vehicle and attempt to remove them from its path. Smatresk said the protesters began striking the vehicle before it sped away.
Users on Twitter claimed the incident left one protester injured, but Smatresk said that was not confirmed.
Smatresk said the escalations during the protest, including becoming confrontational with police, were believed to be all committed by protesters who were not from the UNT community.
Police from UNT and “other supporting agencies” escorted students with Young Conservatives of Texas and their guests to safety when the protests escalated and there were “no serious injuries,” he said in the statement.
Smatresk said freedom of speech and the right to protest are important values to the UNT community.
“We have always touted the importance of freedom of expression and been proud of our students’ ability to speak up for themselves and participate in nonviolent protest,” Smatresk said in his statement. “UNT Police have continuously worked to create and maintain an environment safe for all students to express themselves, regardless of topic.
“As always, campus safety is our top priority, and we will continue working to provide a safe environment for our students. We have always been a passionate community that stands up for our ideals, but last night’s behavior by some individuals is not reflective of the UNT I know and love.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 6:14 PM.