AUSTIN, Texas — Some students at the University of Texas at Austin joined together in protest on Tuesday morning.
Demonstrators met at 8 a.m. to march against Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), which bans diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at public colleges and universities throughout Texas.
The protest was organized ahead of a public hearing to discuss the ways that higher education institutions are complying with the DEI ban. The Texas Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education hearing was held at 9 a.m.
Protesters said they want to unite others who share similar beliefs opposing SB 17. Campus organizer and senior Maggie DiSanza said the group was "really just making this statement that we celebrate and value diversity, equity and inclusion programs."
Since the passage of SB 17, UT Austin has laid off nearly 60 faculty and staff members working in DEI positions. Students who marched Tuesday say that reaction was an "over-compliance" with the law. They hope to get clarification on the law, which they call too vague.
"SB 17 is so vague and so abstract, it's not concrete and it's, frankly, a careless piece of legislation. Because of this, over-compliance is happening and it is really detrimental to the success of marginalized students, faculty and staff on campus," DiSanza said.
The law also brought an end to the university's Multicultural Engagement Center and cultural graduation ceremonies.
Students say the law and the decisions to enforce it were made without their input and don't represent what they want from Texas.
"I hope that, both legislators as well as, administration of the different universities around Texas, kind of hear our voices and reconsider how they're complying as well as, maybe reassess the language that SB 17 currently has just because it's so vague and it's being, weaponized against both students, faculty and staff," Jackie Campos, another campus organizer and recent UT graduate, said.