Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has publicly mocked a Texas Tech student who was jailed and dropped from classes after she reportedly mocked the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk during an on-campus vigil.
“Definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a Thursday afternoon tweet sharing video of her arrest. “Thanks Texas Tech.”
The original post Abbott shared also referred to the student as a “demon” for dancing at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in the clip, which also included the heated exchange that followed. The exchange became national news based both the student’s remarks and the First Amendment implications of her subsequent arrest by campus cops.
The viral video shows a woman authorities identified as 18-year-old Camryn Giselle Booker dancing at the memorial and shouting “yo homie dead” at attendees. Other clips circulating on the Internet show her getting into a confrontation with a man in a MAGA hat and knocking his brim while the two accuse each other of being “hateful.”
The man accused Booker of being “aggressive,” to which she responds that he was only saying that because she’s a Black woman.
Abbott, who ordered state flags flown at half mast following Kirk’s assassination while at a speaking event in Utah, posted about the incident several times over the weekend.
Booker was charged with the class C misdemeanor of simple assault, which typically doesn’t result in jail time, according to the Houston Chronicle. Nonetheless, she was hauled to Lubbock County Jail Friday afternoon and released almost 24 hours later after paying a $200 bond, according to a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office who spoke to the Chronicle.
Abbott shared a photo of Booker’s arrest, with a caption that included “FAFO,” an acronym for “fuck around and find out.”
“So, you are announcing the end of free speech in Texas?” replied Fred Guttenberg, a gun control advocate and parent of a victim of the Parkland school shooting.
Free speech advocates criticizing the arrest argue that mockery and taunting are protected free speech under the first amendment, and that Abbott’s tweets constitute a co-sign of arresting those practicing free speech with whom he disagrees.
University officials confirmed to the Chronicle in a statement that Booker is no longer enrolled in classes on campus. However, they didn’t say she’d been officially expelled.
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
