“We will not back down.” “Stand with Israel” event in Houston took place after protesters tried to shut it down

As tensions rise in the war between Israel and Hamas, several local leaders are taking a stand in favor of freedom of expression.

This issue has taken center stage as college campuses have become flashpoints of conflict. Throughout the country, student protesters have taken over universities with camps and occupied faculty buildings.

Two University of Houston students were arrested by campus police on Wednesday after attempting to set up a pro-Palestinian encampment. One of these students was arrested for assaulting a police officer.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt told KPRC 2’s Faith Braverman these protests weren’t about free speech, they were about violence, and he’s grateful the UH encampment was shut down almost immediately.

“You can’t let things get out of control,” Bettencourt said.

The state senator said that was why he and several of his colleagues sponsored an event Wednesday evening, to ensure the guest speaker’s free speech was protected.

The Young Republicans of Houston experienced several setbacks while planning the “Stand with Israel” event.

The featured speaker was Livia Link-Raviv, Consul General of Israel to the Southwestern United States.

Link-Raviv spent time in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, establishing diplomatic relations between those states and Israel.

But the organizers were forced to welcome Link-Raviv in an undisclosed location.

HYR President Rafael Struve said the event had been threatened twice.

Last March, the first venue planned to host the consul general received incessant threatening calls, so the restaurant asked organizers to find another location.

The event was later moved elsewhere, but when protesters called again and threatened to “burn the building down”, HYR canceled it due to safety concerns.

Organizers worked to find a safe location with armed security guards, if necessary, to ensure the safety of participants.

It turned out to be exactly what it would take.

As attendees arrived at the venue, several police officers dotted the barely visible entrance, which could only be accessed with a QR code.

Despite all the precautions taken, the location of the room was somehow leaked. Protesters began calling, once again threatening the owner of the venue.

But the organizers held firm and it is estimated that around a hundred people attended the consul general’s speech.

“We are not going to tolerate this behavior, whether in City H or on UT’s main campus.” said Bettencourt.

The consul general said she was always willing to engage with groups that invited her to speak and that it was unfortunate that threats of violence and intimidation had postponed the event.

“I have been grateful for the support of many Houston area elected officials, demonstrating our mutual commitment to free speech, open discussion and mutual understanding. When speakers are not allowed to engage with the audience, Houstonians are the ones who ultimately miss out on valuable opportunities for debate and learning,” Link-Raviv said.

Struve said the event was a huge success for the organization and had a message for those who tried to shut them down.

“I hope you realize that this sort of thing has backfired on you. And that only made this event bigger, better and more impactful than it ever would have been if you had allowed free speech to reign supreme. So, in a sense, thank you for this free publicity,” Struve said.