AUSTIN, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott is deploying the Texas National Guard and the Department of Public Safety to Austin ahead of a planned “No Kings” protest at the Capitol on Saturday.
The demonstrations are part of a nationwide movement, with events also planned in several Central Texas cities, including Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Kyle.
Abbott said the move is intended to deter any potential violence during the demonstrations.
In a statement Thursday, the governor wrote, “Texas will not tolerate chaos. Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested.”
Retired Major General Boe Young said the deployment is within the governor’s authority.
“Under state law, the governor can deploy the Texas Guard to help maintain public order and protect private property if there’s a credible concern about unrest,” Young said.
He added that the Guard will act as backup for local law enforcement, not as front-line officers.
“They’re disciplined soldiers. I would not expect anything other than them to provide a professional and sort of calming environment for the protests to occur,” Young said.
ALSO| AISD superintendent responds to consolidation plan backlash, urgency to pass in November
Organizers of the “No Kings” protest say their focus is on peaceful assembly. The group has stated that its core principle is “nonviolence” and that it is committed to lawful, peaceful action at every event.
Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the ACLU, said protesters plan to make their voices heard.
“We will not be silenced. If we stop exercising our rights, our First Amendment freedom of speech, out of fear, we forfeit our power in advance,” Schifeling said.
She also responded to concerns about potential unrest.
“They might try to paint this weekend’s events as something dangerous to our society, but the reality is there is nothing unlawful or unsafe about organizing and attending peaceful protests,” she said.
The Austin Police Department released a statement saying it supports residents’ rights to protest peacefully but will take action if demonstrations turn violent.
The department said it “fully supports and upholds the community’s constitutional right to peacefully assemble,” but added that it will “take appropriate action when individuals engage in illegal acts that threaten the safety of others.”
Schifeling said peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy.
“In this country, everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and to act on them lawfully without fear of punishment, no matter what the government in power happens to think of those beliefs,” she said.
Governor Abbott has not said whether the National Guard will be deployed to other Texas cities where protests are planned. Saturday’s protest at the Capitol is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.