Protesters hold up disturbing ‘women are property’ signs at Texas college campus
Protesters have sparked outrage after showing up on a Texas college campus carrying vile signs with derogatory messages about women.
The religious protesters, who identified themselves as members of Official Street Preachers, arrived in Texas State University on Wednesday afternoon with a series of signage that immediately sparked an uproar among students.
The protesters, who claim to ‘share the gospel every day’, were also heard shouting provocative religious-themed slogans at students, a university spokesperson said. Lonestar Live.
“Women are property,” read one sign.
Another man held a sign that read: “Types of property: women, slaves, animals, land, etc.”
Another message seen on the San Marcos campus shared hatred of the LGBTQ+ community.
On Wednesday, a sign reading “women are property” was hung at Texas State University
The group, called the Official Street Preachers, is not affiliated with the college but was rented out on campus because it is considered a public space.
A crowd of counter-protesters surrounded the street preachers until they finally left campus. Campus police intervened, but no arrests were made.
Video from Wednesday showed students crowding and confronting protesters.
One woman shouted: ‘Women are property? Who owns me?’
Another woman posted a video of the events on TikTok, saying: “This is getting out of hand.”
Reverend Todd Salmi of the United Campus Ministry joined the counter-protests, holding signs reading “Jesus Values and Respects Women in the State of Texas” and “Jesus Loves You All,” the Texas State University student newspaper. The college starreported.
Salmi told the student newspaper: “These Street Preachers come and they argue, they feed on hatred and attention, and then they leave.”
Louie Dean Valencia, a professor of history at Texas State University, posted photos of the protesters on X.
“I just went out for lunch. I lost my appetite,” he wrote.
A crowd of students surrounded the unwanted protesters, some shouting at them to leave
In the comments, he elaborated on his concerns: “As an expert on fascism… this is where it starts. Extremists at home who feel emboldened. Those holding these signs were not part of our community in the state of Texas.
“They may be outsiders, but they are not strangers to those of us who study the radical right.”
On social media, some claimed the protest was inspired by the election of Donald Trump as president in 2025.
Joshua Martin, student body president at the University of Houston, wrote on X: “Not even a full day after the election was called, this was the scene at Texas State University today.
“Times will be tough, but the battle has only just begun.”
Another user wrote, “This was Texas State University yesterday as the racists and misogynists feel emboldened again.”
After Wednesday’s events, university president Kelly Damphousse posted on his Instagram, saying the group is “sowing confusion, anger, mistrust, bitterness, fear and anxiety.”
In an official statement on behalf of the university, Damphousse wrote: “I condemn the hateful words that these two men wrote and spoke while on our campus. That kind of hatred is not welcome here.
“Friends, I know this incident was particularly disturbing because it occurred the day after an emotionally charged presidential election.
“Even though the timing may not have been intentional, it still seemed like these events were connected.”
The university president also explained why the radical Christian protesters were allowed on campus in the first place, citing the fact that the university is legally required to allow “expressive activities.”
In response, Associate Professor Jelena Tešić wrote on
Others argued that these activities should not be protected by the university because they endanger student safety.
Someone wrote in response to the university’s statement: “How are young women on your campus supposed to feel safe?”
“I don’t think there’s room for that on this campus,” said student Cade Crockett CBS Austin. “I think it’s very shameful that people assume it’s okay to promote this behavior, this bigotry.”
Beyond the Texas campus community, the offensive signs have caught the attention of people across the country.
New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi addressed the Official Street Preachers in a social media post.
“Hey @ospofci, take that sign to New York. I would like to see how New York women welcome you,” she said.
This is not an isolated incident, as the Official Street Preachers have documented their protests at various educational institutions in different states over the years.