Texas National Guard on Standby for Austin Anti-Trump Protest

The Texas National Guard is on standby as Austin prepares for a large-scale anti-Trump protest Saturday — the city’s first since a downtown demonstration Monday ended in 13 arrests and multiple injuries to police officers.

The upcoming “No Kings” protest, organized by the progressive group Indivisible and grassroots collective 50501, is part of a national day of demonstrations planned to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and his planned military parade in Washington D.C. Organizers say the protests will include satirical performances and protest art meant to draw attention to what they describe as the authoritarian policies of the Republican administration.

The protests will come amid ongoing upheaval in Los Angeles sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement workplace raids that began last Friday, and exacerbated by Trump’s dispatch of thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of U.S. Marines to the city over the objections of state and local officials.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a close Trump ally, said he is prepared to deploy the Texas National Guard to upcoming protests across the state though he declined to say where.

“There's going to be a large number of protests, and some of them will be large,” Abbott said during a media appearance Wednesday. “We need to make sure that local law enforcement have the resources and capabilities they need.”

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson confirmed that the city had been notified the Guard is ready to assist over the weekend “if deemed necessary.”

The San Antonio Express-News reported Wednesday that 150 guardsmen had checked into a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in downtown San Antonio ahead of a planned evening protest in that city.

Abbott already has dispatched law enforcement to at least one protest.

On Monday, the Republican governor ordered state troopers to respond to the protest in Austin even though the city Police Department did not ask for help, as previously reported by the American-Statesman.

Hundreds of Austinites gathered downtown that evening to protest ICE deportations and show solidarity with LA demonstrators. The protest began peacefully but escalated into what police later described as a destructive and unlawful assembly.

According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, demonstrators spray-painted the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, refused to disperse and threw rocks at officers, injuring three of them. (A fourth experienced an unrelated injury.) Local and state police responded with pepper balls, pepper spray and tear gas.

A video posted to Reddit that depicted an Austin officer pepper spraying a group of protesters, as well as a Statesman photographer, garnered thousands of views. The Police Department said in a statement sent late Wednesday that it was reviewing the use-of-force incident and that "early indication shows that it does fall within policy."

Davis said Austin police will be fully staffed and prepared for this weekend’s demonstrations. The department said in a statement that additional officers will be present.

“To be absolutely clear, the Austin Police Department supports peaceful protests,” the release stated. “But we will take necessary action against agitators who engage in illegal acts that endanger public safety.”

Watson condemned the violence exhibited during Monday's demonstration while reaffirming the city’s support for peaceful protest.

“When people do that, you’re damaging your city,” he said during a Tuesday press conference. “And I think it plays into the politics of fear and chaos. It doesn't help those being targeted.”

The grassroots group 50501 has staged several peaceful demonstrations in Austin and other cities this year, including a February protest against Project 2025 and an April action marking the first 100 days of the Trump administration.

Austin is one of more than 1,800 cities nationwide planning “No Kings” events. Other Central Texas locations include Pflugerville, Lockhart, Bastrop and Taylor.

Saturday’s event will begin at 5 p.m. at the Texas Capitol and is scheduled to last until 8 p.m. Organizers say it will feature circus-themed “pageantry and parody,” along with satirical signs and community engagement opportunities. They ask that attendees remain peaceful and help de-escalate any confrontations.