Students attending an annual Israel block party at the University of Texas at Austin were met with disruptive anti-Israel protesters on Wednesday afternoon.
The Israel Block Party has been a tradition organized by Texas Hillel at UT Austin for 25 years.
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According to its website, the event is the largest pro-Israel event on a college campus in North America and is meant to celebrate the culture, strength, resilience, and hope of Israel and the Israeli people.
Around 50 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered just feet away, many wearing masks and holding signs denouncing Israel. They chanted, “Israel is a terrorist state. There’s nothing here to celebrate.”
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Jewish students told Fox News they felt afraid on their own campus.
“I think I really shouldn’t have to, as a student, be scared to go to a party, a block party, on my campuses,” Rebecca Katz, University of Texas freshman. “I honestly I was a little nervous to come to the Israeli block party because of the protests, but I think UT, security and Hillel have done a really good job of making everyone feel safe.”
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Blake Shanberg, a junior at the University of Texas, said the students were just trying to celebrate their culture.
“You’ll see students on this campus are not trying to be hateful,” Shanberg said. “We’re just trying to enjoy and celebrate. And we’re trying to show that there is a way to have valid peace. “
The anti-Israel protesters were also calling to free Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student from Syria, who led massive protests on the Ivy League campus last year. Khalil is now held at an ice detention facility in Louisiana and is in the middle of a legal battle with the Trump administration who is pushing to get him deported.
Protests remained peaceful with campus police and staff on site monitoring both groups.
Last April, over 100 anti-Israel protesters were arrested on UT Austin campus and police had to use pepper spray to break up the massive crowds.
