Gov. Abbott deployed Texas National Guard soldiers to SA in advance of the demonstrations. City officials urged participants to remain peaceful.
SAN ANTONIO — A crowd of about 200 protesters gathered outside San Antonio City Hall on Wednesday evening to speak against federal policies and this month’s nationwide immigration crackdown, eventually marching around the block around 7:15 p.m.
The protest, one of at least two planned in downtown this week, was expected to eventually make its way to the Alamo, where a few dozen protesters could be seen, as well as local and state police.
The demonstration follows a similar march on Sunday that remained peaceful. Participants have largely spoked out against ICE detainment tactics and the policies of the Trump administration, which recently set a goal of 3,000 immigration-related arrests a day.
One protester wore a shirt reading, “No one is illegal on stolen land.” Others held Mexican flags and carried signs reading “We the people say enough is enough” and “Keep ICE out of our community.”
“This isn’t just about me, this is about future generations,” said one woman who said she was a mother of three. “I identify as a humanitarian. The fact you’re stripping away peoples’ rights, whether it’s due process (or something else), is absolutely wrong.”
“The United States is in distress,” she added.
PHOTOS: San Antonio protesters decry Trump immigration policies
A participant handed out free shirts and flags to those in attendance as the event was getting underway. Later he spoke to the crowd through a megaphone.
“Let’s be clear: Seeking a better life is not a crime,” he said. “(Wanting) safety should never be punished with handcuffs or deportation.”
Councilman Marc Whyte, the District 10 representative, was also near City Hall. He called some of the protesters’ signs and gestures, including an upside-down American flag being carried by some participants, as “very unfortunate.”
“Everybody has a right to peacefully protest,” Whyte said. “You can do it in a way that’s not disrespectful to our country or law enforcement… the fact that people say these things about this great country bothers me.”
National Guard ‘on standby’
Protesters are unfolding as Texas National Guard soldiers remain on standby in San Antonio in case things turn unruly. Governor Greg Abbott’s office confirmed the deployment Tuesday night, saying, “Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles.”
Since last Friday, anti-ICE demonstrations involving thousands in LA have grown increasingly tense, resulting in police using tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. On Tuesday, nearly 200 arrests were made, including 67 taken into custody for unlawfully occupying part of the freeway.
On Wednesday morning, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other city leaders welcomed those who wanted to make their voices heard to do so, while also urging them to remain peaceful.
“I understand the fatigue and the frustration with what’s going on. We should speak out against the cruelty of the administration,” the outgoing mayor said. “At the same time, we need to maintain peace in our communities. That’s the most powerful form of opposition, and I trust we’ll continue in that tradition.”
This is a developing story.