Austin Police Make 30-Plus Arrests In 24 Hours Amid Protests

AUSTIN, TX — Authorities made nearly 30 arrests over the past 24 hours on the third day of protests against police brutality in Austin, officials said Monday.

Hundreds of protesters descended on downtown Austin Sunday, one of several demonstrations sparked nationally over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. Floyd died face-down on asphalt after a policeman kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Locally, protesters also were galvanized in protest for the April 24 fatal shooting of Michael Ramos, 42, an unarmed man a caller told police was brandishing a firearm. Police confirmed 18 days after his death that no gun was found in his car or in the vicinity of the police confrontation in South Austin.

Over the course of the last 24 hours alone, police said they made nearly 30 arrests related to the protests, including charges of burglary of buildings, interference with public duties, theft of property, theft of firearm, graffiti, engaging in organized crime, assault and participating in a riot.

Related coverage:

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• Texas Gov Declares State 'Disaster Area' Over Protests
  
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• Austin-Area Stores Looted As Protests Continue
  
• Mother Of Austin Man Fatally Shot By Police Seeks Justice

Largely peaceful protests that began last Friday (May 29) have been marred by isolated incidents of wanton mayhem. On Saturday, May 30, at least 1,000 people descended on downtown. As people marched, some young people freely tagged buildings along the makeshift march path. No looting was witnessed, but windows of Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles parked alongside the Governor's Mansion were smashed by some protesters and defaced with graffiti.

At one point during Sunday's protest, Interstate 35 northbound and southbound lanes near 8th Street were shut down when protesters swarmed the key artery.

Responding to an email from Patch on Sunday, police dispelled rumors that tear gas had been used to disperse the crowds. "Smoke and CS gas was deployed from the ground," an Austin Police Department spokesperson wrote in a reply, referencing a pair of eye irritants employed to quell crowds. "Throughout the demonstrations, officers have utilized less lethal munitions."

Police denied using tear gas, as rally participants and some media outlets had reported. "Smoke was deployed to divert crowds off the highway after multiple warnings were issued," police wrote on Twitter. "APD officers did not deploy tear gas."

At least 19 arrests were made on Sunday, police previously said. In one incident, a vehicle was set on fire at around 9:30 p.m. along the Interstate 35 service road near 7th Street.

Police on Saturday also reported the use of dangerous projectiles by some protesters: "While most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, some people have thrown rocks, bricks, eggs, water bottles and Molotov cocktails," police wrote on Twitter.

Amid reports of such incidents — across Texas, and not isolated to Austin — Gov. Greg Abbott decried violence in announcing his dispatching of some 1,500 Texas Department of Public Safety officers and more Texas National Guard troops to help calm the protests. Over the weekend, Abbott took the unusual step of issuing a disaster declaration for the entire state amid reports of chaos.

Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley detailed some of the most severe cases emanating from the protest. Police Chief Brian Manley described incidents of protesting civilians injure by police:

One protester was hit in the face with a rubber bullet, and a pregnant woman was hit in the stomach.

Throughout the day on Saturday, some skirmishes were seen as left-leaning protesters clashed with the occasional conservative seen as interloper. In past marches in Austin for a variety of left-leaning causes such as immigration or workers' rights, representatives from Infowars and other ultra-right organizations invariably make the scene to offer ideological counterpoints usually blared through a megaphone.

One brief skirmish on Saturday was sparked when one young man began photographing protesters before being chased off as demonstrators weaved through traffic behind the fleeing shutterbug.

Protesters chase off a photographer at the intersction of 8th and Guadalupe streets on May 30, 2020. Video by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

To be sure, Infowars tried inserting itself in the Austin protests as well on Saturday — only to be met by protesters swarming its armored-like vehicle while inflicting damage.

There's no word if protests are scheduled to continue on Monday. Patch will update when more details are known.