Texas officials are preparing for widespread “No Kings” protests on Saturday, with Gov. Greg Abbott ordering National Guard deployments amid nationwide demonstrations opposing President Donald Trump’s policies.
Texas officials are preparing for a wave of “No Kings” protests taking place across the country this Saturday, with over a dozen planned in Houston alone. In response to escalating political tensions, Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered additional security measures.
On Thursday, Abbott revealed that the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety will send more personnel to Austin “to ensure the safety of residents,” referencing possible unrest from what he termed “antifa-linked protests.” The governor refrained from directly referencing the No Kings movement.
The demonstrations are being coordinated by the 50501 Movement, which was initiated earlier this year to challenge what it describes as the Trump administration's "authoritarian excesses." The organization has successfully organized two previous rounds of demonstrations in February and June.
On Saturday, organizers are planning what they call “peaceful national days of action,” concentrating on issues related to immigration, healthcare, and democracy. “They are focusing on immigrant families … and increasing the cost of living,” the group stated.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed strong disapproval of the upcoming protests on C-SPAN, referring to them as “the hate America rally” and asserting that they would draw in “Marxists” and “pro-Hamas supporters.”
This weekend's demonstrations will signify the third occasion the 50501 Movement has organized protests in Houston this year.
Earlier gatherings attracted a large crowd throughout the metropolitan region. Organizers anticipate even bigger turnouts this weekend as the conflict between Trump’s administration and its opponents intensifies.
Houston drivers are seeing some of the lowest gas prices in years, with several stations dropping close to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new GasBuddy survey released Monday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered that all cities and counties remove street markers representing "political ideologies" or risk losing state transportation funding. The order targets rainbow crosswalks in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.