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Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state National Guard in Austin ahead of planned protests Saturday condemning aggressive immigration enforcement.
The “No Kings” protests will take place across the country to denounce the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign and the president “threatening to overtake the election and destroy health care, environmental protections and education,” according to the organizers’ website.
Abbott, in a press release, said he was ordering the Texas Department of Public Safety to activate the Texas National Guard due to a “planned antifa-related protest.”
“Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to deploy all law enforcement officials and resources necessary to keep Austin residents safe,” Abbott said. “Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in violence or damaging property.”
Anti-facism, also called antifa, is a left-wing movement that opposes far-right, racist, and fascist groups. Abbott’s statement did not specify the connection between the planned protests and antifa. He also did not say whether he plans 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 Thursday that the National Guard would not be on the streets of Austin unless there was an “emergency need.” Watson and Abbott’s offices did not respond to immediate questions about whether the National Guard would still be stationed near the protest before an emergency arises.
Watson also condemned violent protests and expressed support for peaceful gatherings.
“Let me be clear: I do not condone the militarization of our streets,” he said. “I also do not tolerate peaceful acts that threaten the health or safety of people, cause damage to property and infringe on the rights of those who wish to demonstrate peacefully. »
The governor’s decision comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also claimed earlier this week that the protests were associated with anti-fascism, which Trump designated 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 these protests to “ensure peace and order.”
Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles during the No Kings protests in June, without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom. A federal judge later ruled that the president had exceeded his authority by using federal military forces for domestic affairs.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said in a statement that Abbott is “doing everything he can to deceive Donald Trump, including playing from Trump’s authoritarian playbook and intimidating people who exercise their First Amendment rights.”
“Our cities are not war zones or military training grounds, and we do not need an unnecessary show of force at the expense of taxpayers during a peaceful protest,” Scudder added. “Greg Abbott wants to incite violence against the mob and try to scare you into coming out, just like a king or those who protect him would do.”
Ayden Runnels contributed to this story.
