COA PROTEST PRESS CONFERENCE 6-12_frame_23190.jpeg
Austin officials said they are prepared to protect protesters' First Amendment rights during planned anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrations at the State Capitol on Saturday. Mayor Kirk Watson and Police Chief Lisa Davis held a news conference to address security preparations for the protests, emphasizing their commitment to peaceful assembly while warning against violence or property destruction.
"This is Austin, Texas and people here are passionate," Watson said. "We have a strong tradition in Austin of peaceful assembly as the capital city of the state of Texas."The Austin Police Department will deploy additional resources including motor units, bike patrol, mounted patrol and air units to monitor the demonstrations. Officers will use dialogue policing techniques and maintain direct contact with protest organizers throughout the event. "APD takes the constitutional right to peacefully assemble seriously," Davis said. "We will allow the freedom of the press while also ensuring public safety and the safety of our officers."Limiting use of forceAbbott announced Thursday that he deployed more than 2,000 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and over 5,000 Texas National Guard soldiers across the state to assist local law enforcement during the weekend protests. "Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump's enforcement of immigration law," Abbott said.Watson criticized the decision to have the National Guard on standby. "I don't believe that we should militarize the streets of the capital city of the state of Texas," Watson said. "It sends a very poor message about the state of Texas... It is intended, or certainly provokes, fear." The mayor emphasized that the National Guard decision was made by state authorities, not city officials. He said DPS would handle any National Guard deployment decisions."Our top priority is the safety of our community and our officers," Davis said. "Let's all work together and maintain peace and order as our community exercises their First Amendment right of free speech and peaceful assembly."
Anti-ICE Protest Austin Public Safety Peaceful Assembly Law Enforcement National Guard
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