‘No Kings’ Protests Return To Texas
Thousands of Texans are expected at another round of No Kings protests against the Trump administration all over the state
On Saturday, October 18, thousands of Texans are expected at rallies throughout the state to protest the Trump administration and its policies. This will be the second round of “No Kings” protests taking place in Texas (named to represent that the United States is a democracy, not a monarchy).
Back in June, over sixty No Kings protests were held in Texas to coincide with a military parade Trump ordered in Washington D.C. to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army (which also happened to be his birthday). The protests in Texas were all peaceful and took place in large cities like Austin and Houston and smaller areas like Belton, Corpus Christi, Wichita Falls and McKinney.
Many labor and community leaders expect that this Saturday’s protests will be even larger than the ones that occurred in the summer. Many speakers and protesters in Texas are expected to denounce recent actions from the White House that they believe have veered into authoritarianism. According to a protest locator from No Kings, there are over seventy different protests happening in Texas.
With the rallies set to potentially break records for attendance, many Republicans have taken to blasting the protests and protestors. At a press conference this week Speaker of the House Mike Johnson referred to Saturday’s event as a “hate America rally.” Many opponents of No Kings have also accused the protesters of being staged or paid, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Speaking on Fox News, Cruz claimed that Saturday’s rallies were being funded by billionaire George Soros “and may turn into riots all across the country.” Cruz then touted a bill that he introduced into the Senate that would permit the Department of Justice to prosecute the funders of protests like No Kings under RICO statutes.
On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he would be deploying Texas National Guard members to Austin for their No Kings rally, which he referred to as an “Antifa-linked protest.” In response, the Texas House Democrats released their own statement condemning Abbott’s move.
“Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them,” said State Rep. Gene Wu, the Texas House Democrats Minority Leader. “By inviting armed soldiers into our streets, the Governor has sold out our sovereignty to a corrupt politician looking to distract you from the Epstein Files, rising prices at the grocery store, and more Texans than ever unable to realize the dream of homeownership.”
A tenet that No Kings notes on their website is a commitment to nonviolence. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events,” they write.
