There are at least two protests planned in San Antonio in the coming days, including a Wednesday night demonstration at City Hall.
SAN ANTONIO — Top San Antonio officials said they weren’t notified ahead of time about the state’s deployment of National Guard soldiers amid planned demonstrations in the city, nor had they been in communication with Texas military officials as of Wednesday morning, hours before a protest was set to take place downtown.
Joined by other city leaders in a news conference discussing local preparations to ensure a safe protest, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he didn’t request that Gov. Greg Abbott deploy the soldiers, “nor did we get any advance warning.”
Abbott’s office confirmed late Tuesday night that Texas National Guard soldiers were “on standby” across the state where demonstrations protesting the federal government’s policies and ongoing immigration crackdown are planned. That includes the Alamo City.
The state hasn’t said how many soldiers were sent to San Antonio, however. The city’s police officials said they didn’t know either, but emphasized they have their own playbook for safeguarding resident’s rights to protest.
“We are prepared for a peaceful demonstration,” Police Chief William McManus said. “But we’re also prepared if something goes south and it turns violent.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar shared a similar message on social media. He urged those who plan to make their voices heard to be respectful of the rights and property of others while adding that “we urge everyone to exercise their rights, but please do so safely and responsibly.”
In addition to Wednesday night’s planned event, San Antonio is one of dozens of cities across the country where a “No Kings” march protesting Trump’s policies is set to take place. The movement categorizes itself as a “national day of action” that is expected to represent “the largest single-day mobilization since President Trump returned to office.”
Some state lawmakers, meanwhile, are seeking clarity from Abbott’s office on what they call a “lack of coordination with local officials” regarding the deployment. Democratic State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer’s office said he sent a formal letter to the governor in which he raised “deep concern” about his decision.”
The Bexar County Democratic party, meanwhile, said Abbott’s decision “is not only unnecessary, it’s dangerous.” The group said it was cosponsoring Saturday’s “No Kings” rally, but wasn’t affiliated with Wednesday’s event.
“We are gathering to stand for freedom and justice,” the local group said in a statement. “We condemn violence. The governor’s decision to deploy the military into this environment invites and encourages violence. It also sets a troubling precedent regarding local control.”
‘Protocols in place’
At about 2 p.m. Wednesday, Bexar County closed all its offices and departments ahead of the protest planned to start around 7 p.m. The protest Wednesday night will take place at City Hall.
“In almost 20 years I’ve been here, we haven’t had any National Guard interaction,” McManus said. “We have our protocols in place, and I don’t want to reveal what they are. But whatever we do, we do with the utmost safety with the people we’re working with.”
Nirenberg said he believes San Antonio police will be able to handle any situation, and reiterated a message shared to social media Tuesday night categorizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies as “crude” and “cruel.”
“I have full faith in our San Antonio police department, as well as our local community, to be examples of how we have peaceful protesting and speaking out against a very authoritative move in our federal government,” Nirenberg said. “I understand the frustrations out there. And there is an important message that people are sending.”
McManus said that, if Texas National Guard soldiers were to be deployed locally, he would collaborate with the commanding officer.