AUSTIN, Texas — What began as an expected crowd of about 40,000 people swelled even larger Saturday according to organizers as thousands gathered at Auditorium Shores in Austin for the third nationwide “No Kings” protest.
People at the rally said they were motivated by frustration with the actions of the Trump administration.
“Sometimes you have to stand up before it’s too late,” said Daniel Casner, who lives near Austin.
Madison Laird, who lives in Austin, said, “This is becoming a fascist place. We need to call it what it is.”
The demonstration was the third nationwide “No Kings” protest. Melody Tremallo, vice president of Hands Off Central Texas, said, “That means that more people are waking up, and getting activated and realizing they can do something.”
Tremallo said organizers set up 80 different booths and organizations across Auditorium Shores, giving attendees opportunities to learn about and support different causes.
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Protesters held signs and chanted, including calls criticizing President Donald Trump, the Iran war, and the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Casner said, “DHS is doing bad things right now, so they should be defunded. That’s what I think, so until we change things, they shouldn’t be funded.”
The debate over DHS funding has been an ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans, leading to a 40-day government shutdown.
“Well the democrats want to let illegals into the country; criminals, murderers, every kind of criminal you can imagine. And republicans just don’t want to have it happen,” President Trump said.
Some protesters also focused on a local issue: renaming Cesar Chavez Street downtown as new allegations of sexual abuse surface against the late civil rights activist.
“It’s a shame that that happened. That man, who we do not need to associate with anymore, but the movement was so powerful. There are several amazing women, especially the women that came forward, that we can name the street after. I think we should start looking to do that,” Laird said.
Organizers said they made it a point to keep the event peaceful. Austin police have not reported any incidents related to the protest.
