AUSTIN, Texas (CN) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday that he is deploying both the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety officers to Austin ahead of a "No Kings" protest planned at the state Capitol on Saturday.
The protest is part of a nationwide series of demonstrations set to occur that day opposing President Donald Trump's "authoritarian power grabs," according to the organizers' website. Similar protests in June drew millions of protesters across the nation.
Abbott's office said in a statement that the Austin protest is "antifa-linked." Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a left-wing political movement that opposes fascism and far-right ideologies. Trump signed an executive order last month designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The statement from Abbott's office did not elaborate on how the No Kings protest is connected to antifa.
"Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas," Abbott said. "Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard to deploy all necessary law enforcement officials and resources to ensure the safety of Austin residents. Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property."
Texas Democratic leaders have condemned the move, accusing Abbott of trying to intimidate peaceful protesters.
"Greg Abbott is doing everything he can to suck up to Donald Trump, including taking a page from Trump's authoritarian playbook, and intimidating people exercising their First Amendment right," Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder said in a statement. "Our cities are not war zones or military training grounds, and we do not need an unnecessary display of force at the expense of taxpayers on a peaceful protest. Greg Abbott wants to incite violence against the crowd and try to make you afraid to come out, exactly like a king or those protecting a king would."
Abbott previously deployed the National Guard and DPS troopers in response to No Kings protests in various Texas cities in June. Texas media reported that those protests were largely peaceful.
Abbott's announcement comes as Republican leaders have been vilifying the No Kings protests, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the D.C. demonstration set for the National Mall on Saturday a "hate America rally."
In response, the organizers of the No Kings protests said in a statement that Johnson is "running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down."
"Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable health care, or lowering costs for working families, he's attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings," they said. "We'll see everyone on Oct. 18."
Source: Courthouse News Service
