Austin Protesters Burn Flags Outside Police Station

AUSTIN, TX — As many celebrated Juneteenth on Friday, some demonstrators condemning law enforcement abuse pulled down flags fronting the downtown Austin police headquarters and burned them.

Protesters have been demonstrating in Austin for three weeks following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed face down on the pavement on May 25. Local protests also were sparked by the fatal shooting by police of Michael Ramos on April 24 outside a South Austin apartment.

Normally a day of celebration and reflection to commemorate the day that slaves in Texas were informed of their emancipation, June 19 turned out to be protest-filled given the ongoing demonstrations against police abuse. According to local media reports, protesters swarmed the downtown police headquarters at 715 E. 8th St., resulting in a tense confrontation with officers.

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At one point protesters took down an American and Texas flag from the flagpoles outside the police base before burning them on the ground. Police spokesman Bino Cadenas uploaded video of the incident, writing that a fellow officer who is a military veteran interceded as the banners burned.

"Really?!?" Cadenas wrote. "This evening protesters lowered the USA and Texas flag and set them on fire. Proud to say one of our officers, a veteran, did not stand by and watch the flag be desecrated."

There were unconfirmed media reports of one arrest outside the cop shop, but it's unclear if it was connected to the flag burning incident. Patch will update if more details are shared by police officials.