ROUND ROCK, Texas — More than 100 students from McNeil High School left campus shortly after 2 p.m. Friday and marched along McNeil Road to protest recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
Similar demonstrations have been organized at several Central Texas high schools in recent weeks, including Cedar Ridge High School, with students coordinating through social media.
Student protester Charlie Seiler said, “We are protesting ICE and the violence they have committed.” Another student, Alexander Georgen, said, “I just think what ICE is doing, you know, taking families like hurting them and killing them, I think it’s really barbaric.”
About an hour into the demonstration, police sirens were heard and officers arrested a 55-year-old woman who was not a student. Student Noah Seiler said, “A woman was like OK, trying to get us off the street. They immediately took that opportunity and arrested her.”
Video recorded by a student shows the moment of the arrest. Student protester Greenlee Martinez said the woman “was just very peaceful, had no threatening nature,” adding, “I had seen her getting arrested and that scared me because I have seen time and time again on the news of ICE and police taking innocent protesters.”
Martinez also said an officer pointed a Taser at her during the incident. “He had pulled out the Taser and pulled it out like this and had threatened to take me to jail. I stood there and I was confused,” she said.
Video obtained by CBS Austin shows the confrontation, as well as moments before when Martinez can be seen yelling at the officers. Another person can be seen pulling her back.
The Austin Police Department said in a statement, “APD arrested a 55-year-old woman for obstructing the roadway. The incident is being reviewed, and until the review is complete, no additional information is available for release.” Six or seven police vehicles returned to the scene after the arrest.
U.S. Representative Greg Casar said students have the right to protest peacefully. “I know that there are a lot of students who are out there worried about what’s happening to their parents, worried about what’s happening in their community,” Casar said. “I just urge students to make sure that you are peaceful and that you are collaborative, but that also students should know that they have a right under state law and federal law to make their voices heard.”
Some students said they believed Austin police officers were trying to discourage them from continuing the demonstration. Martinez said, “I did not bang on the window, I didn’t even touch the police car. All I had done was gone to the window to see if she was there, and that’s when he had rolled down the window and pulled the Taser out on me again.”