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Gov. Greg Abbott has National Guard troops on standby. He also claimed the protests are “antifa-linked,” but organizers said that’s not the case, and the event should be peaceful.
How many people? Where? When?
Sophia Mitro, one of the protest organizers, expects around 20,000 to 30,000 people to show up.
Saturday’s protest will start at the Texas Capitol at 2 p.m., where some leaders will speak about the movement. At 2:30 p.m., protesters are expected to march together to Auditorium Shores. From 3 to 5:30 p.m., protesters will meet with dozens of organizations to continue protesting.
National Guard Troops
On Thursday, Abbott announced he will deploy both Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troops as well as the Texas National Guard.
“Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property,” the governor said.
Mayor Kirk Watson said the “Guard will not be on the streets of Austin unless there is a determination that there is an emergency need.”
Austin Police Department
APD is “fully prepared” for Saturday’s protests.
“The Austin Police Department fully supports and upholds our community’s constitutional right to peacefully assemble,” Chief Lisa Davis said. “We will take appropriate action when individuals engage in illegal acts that threaten the safety of others or damage property. Those responsible will be held accountable.”
The department will once again utilize its Dialogue Police Team “to assist demonstrators, answer questions, and help ensure that lawful expression occurs safely.”
Additionally, APD will post hourly updates on its social media pages about protest happenings.
What happened at the last ‘No Kings’ protest in Austin?
Two major protests happened in the city in June, an anti-ICE protest on June 9 and a ‘No Kings’ protest on June 14.
June 9 was a Monday. The protest began in the evening and lasted until after 10 p.m.
Thirteen people were arrested and four officers were hurt, according to law enforcement. Two of APD’s eight arrests were felonies. Officers arrested and charged a woman, accusing her of spitting on an officer. That case is still open. The other felony charge was ultimately dropped to misdemeanor riot participation. One charge got dropped completely, and another was reduced to the equivalent of a traffic ticket.
Troopers arrested five people that night. Three still face third-degree felonies in connection with tagging a building. Two people had their charges dropped.
Following the June 9 protest, Watson had a similar message to his sentiments ahead of this weekend’s protest, encouraging free speech and denouncing violence.
The June 14 ‘No Kings’ protest, which was far larger than the June 9 event, resulted in three arrests, three officers injured, and three instances of officers using force.
Formula 1 is also happening, how does impact traffic flow?
Formula 1 has two major events on Saturday: a sprint race and a qualifying session. Wesley Lucus with Visit Austin said the race brings a lot of people out of town, into the city.
“According to a 2021 study, about 65% of folks are from out of state — so lots of visitors in town,” Lucas said. “Looking at last year’s race, the average daily rate for downtown from Thursday to Sunday was $739. That’s hugely high for our city. Across the city was about $477.”
Gideon Swords is a bartender at Saturn Cocktail Club, which is located on congress where protesting will be marching. Swords said he expects a lot of foot traffic to come inside their business with the protest an Formula 1.
“We staff up and we have these things set out a couple of weeks in advance just to be ready for whatever could happen,” Swords said.
Lucas said that it’s important to plan in advance to avoid any traffic in the area.
“Check out your routes, whether it’s your app, to make sure that you know where the traffic flow patterns are,” Lucas said.
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