State-Sponsored Violence Delivers a Chilling Message Thanks to UTD

To the current editorial board and readers of Mercury,

One thing is clear to me after reading Mercury Recent coverage of the Gaza Solidarity camp: The horrifying response of the administrators on May 1 was undoubtedly a show of power.

The university tries to justify sending in police armed with assault rifles and riot gear as simply enforcing policy—a rational response to lawlessness. But make no mistake: there is nothing “rational” about state-sanctioned violence. There is no justification for the so-called “protectors” of our free speech to use fear tactics—approving the militarized attackers who arrested peaceful, unarmed protesters. May Day was first and foremost a threat: UTD will retaliate when its status quo is challenged.

The student protesters demanded: “Why are you in riot gear?”

The answer? To warn everyone watching: We will use force again to put you back in your place.

This is unacceptable, it is frightening and I reject the administrators’ brutal repression of our students.

The lengths UTD will go to suppress rallies and even deny tuition-paying protesters their degrees disturbs me deeply. The dean of students called the former SJP president a “disgrace” before denying him his degree—but it’s our administrators who are truly disgraceful. While the administration happily deploys war-ready police officers to quell the Comets, it ignores the fundamental issues driving the protests and continues to support UTIMCO’s investments in companies that fund militarism, neo-imperialism, and genocide.

This university, which stifles the voice of its students, has no future without the resignation of all the administrators involved in the May 1 response.

Sincerely,

Fatima Azem
Former editor-in-chief of Mercuryfrom summer 23 to spring 24