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Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state’s National Guard in Austin ahead of planned Saturday protests condemning aggressive immigration enforcement.
The “No Kings” protests will be taking place across the country to speak out against the Trump administration’s mass deportation push, and the president “threatening to overtake elections; gutting health care, environmental protections, and education” according to the organizers’ website.
Abbott, in a press release, said he’s directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to activate the Texas National Guard because of a “planned antifa-linked demonstration.”
“Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard to deploy all necessary law enforcement officials and resources to ensure the safety of Austin residents,” Abbott said. “Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property.”
Antifacism, also called antifa, is a leftist movement opposing far-right, racist and fascist groups. Abbott’s statement didn’t specify the connection between the planned protests and antifa. He also didn’t say whether he planned to deploy the National Guard to other Texas cities where protests are planned, including Houston, Lubbock and McAllen.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson clarified in a statement later on Thursday that the National Guard would not be on the streets of Austin unless there was “emergency need.” Watson’s and Abbott’s office did not respond to immediate questions on whether the National Guard would still be stationed near the protest before an emergency occurred.
Watson also condemned violent protests and expressed support for peaceful gatherings.
“Let me be clear: I don’t condone the militarization of our streets,” he said. “I also don’t condone unpeaceful acts that threaten people’s health or safety, do damage to property, and disrupt the right of those who want to peacefully protest.”
The governor’s move comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also claimed earlier this week that the protests are associated with antifascism, which Trump has designated as a terrorist organization last month, according to The Hill.
Similar protests took place across the state in June — from McAllen to Midland — and were largely peaceful. Abbott also deployed 5,000 National Guard members to those protests to “ensure peace & order.”
Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles during No Kings protests there in June, without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. A federal judge later ruled that the president overstepped his authority by using federal military forces for domestic matters.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said in a statement that Abbott is “doing everything he can to suck up to Donald Trump, including taking a page from Trump’s authoritarian playbook, and intimidating people exercising their First Amendment right.
“Our cities are not warzones or military training grounds, and we do not need an unnecessary display of force at the expense of taxpayers on a peaceful protest,” Scudder added. “Greg Abbott wants to incite violence against the crowd and try to make you afraid to come out, exactly like a king or those protecting a king would.”
Ayden Runnels contributed to this story.
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