As the city of Austin braces for a series of protests this weekend, Mayor Kirk Watson has confirmed that the Texas National Guard is on standby to support law enforcement efforts. According to KXAN, Watson emphasized the city's commitment to ensuring peaceful protest, maintaining focus on the humanity of its immigrant community, and denouncing any violent actions. He warned against the politics of fear that seem to emanate from Washington, stating, "The reality is that we should not feed into this politics of fear and pain and risk doing harm to those we want to help."
In a statement that soldiers aren't trained as police, District 7 City Council Representative, Mike Siegel expressed his concerns. The response was concerned about by deploying the National Guard. Simultaneously, Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes voiced opposition to the deployment, cautioning communities demanding justice against intimidation by military force, as reported by KXAN. "To every Texan exercising their constitutionally protected free speech: know your rights, stay vigilant, and protect one another," Fuentes said.
Confrontations have already occurred this week, with Austin police declaring an unlawful assembly outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building on Monday, leading to 13 arrests by state troopers and local officers, as detailed by CBS Austin. Mayor Watson responded to these events by reiterating that Austin will "continue to recognize the humanity and value of our immigrant community" and discourage any escalation to violence, saying, "You are damaging your city."
With the planned "No Kings" protests not only happening in Austin but slated to occur across Texas and the nation, including a 5 p.m. start at the Texas State Capitol this Saturday, the city's law enforcement is gearing up for an uncertain weekend. The deployment is an overreaction, the "No Kings" protest organizer said, hinting at larger questions about the balance between security and civil liberties. The potential consequences for the immigrant communities at the heart of the protests are being risked by this tactic, according to Watson's words obtained by CBS Austin. "We should not feed into this politics of fear and pain and risk doing harm to those we want to help," he added, amidst the charged atmosphere ahead of Saturday's events.
