Nearly 80 criminal trespass arrests stemming from a pro-Palestinian Arab protest at the University of Texas have been dismissed, a prosecutor said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press . The prosecutor, Delia Garza, said 79 criminal trespass cases that were dismissed all stemmed from the April 29 protest. She said cases involving other offenses remain pending. Garza said her office determined it couldn’t meet the legal burden to prove the cases beyond a reasonable doubt. She said factors that were considered included whether the protesters’ right to free speech had been violated, whether prosecutors had sufficient evidence to seek a conviction and if pursuing the case was in the interest of justice. During the April 29 protest, officers in riot gear removed about 100 sitting protesters from the campus.Officers used pepper spray and flash-bang devices to clear the crowd. In a statement, the University of Texas said the school was “deeply disappointed” by Garza’s actions, adding that the school “will continue to use the law enforcement and administrative tools at our disposal to maintain safety and operational continuity for our 53,000 students who come to campus to learn, regardless of whether the criminal justice system shares this commitment.” The protest encampment was one in a series of anti-Israel protests at campuses across the US, which at times have turned violent. Related articles: Anti-Israel encampment returns to campus exactly 1 year later White House rejects universities' criticism of interference 'Progressive rabbis choose Progressivism over Judaism' Anti-Israel protesters chain themselves to gates Some of the anti-Israel encampments at universities have been taken down by police officers , while others have been cleared voluntarily following agreements with university administration. News of the 79 arrests being dropped comes days after the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced that dozens of Columbia University students who were arrested for occupying a campus building as part of a pro-Palestinian Arab protest will have their criminal charges dropped.