UT Dallas protesters released after spending the night in Collin County jail
MCKINNEY – The 21 people who were arrested at Wednesday's protest at the University of Texas at Dallas are out of jail, released Thursday afternoon on personal recognizance bonds after appearing in Collin County magistrate court.
They all spent Wednesday night in the Collin County Jail charged with criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor. It is not clear how many of them are students or otherwise affiliated with the school.
Supporters of the protesters were gathered outside the jail throughout Thursday, some of whom stayed all night.
The encampment went up early Wednesday morning. Organizers said they received a letter from the administration telling them that while they were allowed to peacefully protest, they would not be allowed to have an encampment.
After protesters refused to leave, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies moved in, dismantling the encampment and arresting people.
The UT Dallas campus straddles the Dallas County/Collin County line. Officers made the arrests within a few hundred feet of the county border, so state law allows law enforcement to take the arrestees to either county.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said 19 people were arrested at the encampment. The post was updated to reflect new information from the Collin County Sheriff's Office.