Protesters Swarm Downtown Austin Despite Rally Cancellation

AUSTIN, TX — Despite the cancellation of the "March/Rally for Black Lives and Freedom" that had been scheduled on the grounds of the state Capitol on Sunday, hundreds of protesters took to downtown to condemn police abuse.

Concerns that “white folk … and other agitators of color” would have co opted the event led to its cancellation, organizers said. The gathering was meant to protest police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, who died after an officer put a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The event had been scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting with a rally at the Texas Capitol before a march to Austin City Hall on West 2nd Street.

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Despite the cancellation, throngs of protesters took to downtown streets for the third straight day. By Sunday evening, demonstrators took to Interstate 35 near 8th Street — not far from the police headquarters one block over — effectively shutting down a stretch of the artery, as police reported on Twitter. "Please avoid the area as our officers continue to work to keep Austin safe," police wrote on Twitter.

Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coalition cited safety concerns in cancelling the planned rally. “There’s no way under my watch … that we can ask people to come out and potentially have black bodies in harm’s way," Moore said on a Facebook Live broadcast. The activist referenced rumors about other groups seeking to "hijack" the event, which led to its cancellation.

The event's shuttering didn't stop hundreds of protesters from descending upon downtown for the third straight day as police acted to control the crowds. Reached by Patch via email, police confirmed some of the crowd dispersal tactics used that were employed: "Smoke and CS gas was deployed from the ground," an Austin Police Department spokesperson wrote in a reply. "Throughout the demonstrations, officers have utilized less lethal munitions."

CS gas is an eye irritant considered to be a non-lethal chemical unless used in great amounts in enclosed spaces, as Chemical World explains in its website. The incapacitory agent — which is actually a fine powder rather than a gas — has long been used for crowd dispersal, according to the website.

"During the Vietnam war, from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s, American forces used CS as a means of clearing enemy troops from underground bunkers, whilst British troops in Northern Ireland used CS from 1969 into the early 1970s to control riots," the website reads. "Although it is now prohibited from use in war by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, its use by police forces is generally legal. CS has been widely employed in many parts of the world for riot control, in places like Bahrain, Nepal, South Korea and Egypt."

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."

Some protesters reported crowd-dispersing materials were deployed from a helicopter over Interstate 35 and reports abounded of rubber bullets being used, but police would not confirm the reports: "For the safety of our community and officers, we do not provide detailed information on all of APD tactics," the spokesperson wrote to Patch in an email, referring to the department's Twitter page for further explanation.

Police sought to warn visitors to downtown Austin of the growing hordes of protesters: "Despite reports of demonstration cancellations, there are currently hundreds of people in the downtown Austin area and more on the way," police wrote on Twitter, adding an aerial view of crowds at Austin City Hall to illustrate. "Please expect delays and plan your travel routes accordingly."

Police alerted motorists to a march planned at noon by demonstrators, urging they seek alternative routes if traveling through the downtown area. "We are here to protect your right to assemble and exercise free speech," police wrote, before adding: "Laws will be enforced. Property damage or violence will not be tolerated."

At least 19 people have been arrested since Saturday, police noted, as demonstrations pick up steam. On Twitter, the Austin Police Department said 14 people were arrested Saturday and another five on Sunday. Charges ranged assault on a peace officer to obstructing a highway to assault, police said.

The Austin Fire Department responded to several incidents during Saturday's protest, including one vehicle fire, nine dumpster fires and a trash fire. Fire officials noted numersou smaller trash fires were extinguished by law enforcement officials.

For their part, Austin-Travis County EMS officials said they had responded to 19 protest-related incidents. Given the chaotic scene, medics advised residents to avoid the downtown area entirely.

Protesters in Austin demonstrated against police as much for George Floyd, the man who died at the hands of police in Minneapolis, as for Michael Ramos, a 42-year-old man hit first with a beanbag projectile before being fired upon by another officer with a rifle.

On April 24, someone had called police to report Ramos was ingesting drugs in his car while brandishing a gun, but 18 days after his death, police confirmed no firearm had been found. On Friday, District Attorney Margaret Moore said she would send the case to a special grand jury to assess whether the deadly force by police was justified.

Moore emailed an advisory alerting to the man's mother speaking some 15 minutes before her presentation. Patch reached out to ask if people could attend while she spoke or if her presentation would be livestreamed given the short notice. "This is live in person," Moore wrote, offering no further details.

While not mentioned in the announcement of the rally's cancellation, staging a demonstration might have posed logistical challenges after state officials sealed off the entrance to the Capitol grounds after demonstrations on Saturday. Access to the vicinity around the Governor's Mansion also was sealed off after a day of protests by activists condemning police brutality.

After a day of protesting against police brutality on Saturday, May 30, 2020, demonstrators were blocked from reentering the Texas Capitol grounds as officials closed the gates. A phalanx of troopers enforced the closure, standing sentry-like as protesters voiced their dissatisfaction on the sidewalk fronting the closed gates. Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

Despite the cancellation, demonstrators reportedly were gathered outside the Capitol grounds in protest.

After organizers canceled Sunday's event, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a state of disaster for the entire state, citing the ongoing protests. In announcing the move, Abbott referenced his ability to send resources to cities in an effort to control the protests. On Saturday, the governor dispatched more than 1,500 Texas Department of Public Safety officers to cities with large protests, later sending members of the National Guard to various municipalities to further quell the demonstrations.

Before the event was nixed over safety concerns, Austin Mayor Steve Adler revealed he would not be in attendance even as he voiced solidarity with the cause. The mayor cited the continued spread of the coronavirus as the reason he wouldn't attend the event, urging others to take precautions should they attend the rally.

"Yet again with the cruel virus, I’m confronted with a forced choice between two options both of which I don’t like," the mayor wrote. "Do I attend today’s demonstration to join with others responding to the death of George Floyd and the ever-increasing list of almost exclusively black and brown unarmed people, including Mike Ramos here in Austin, killed by police? When people learn not to expect justice, our civic institutions lose their meaning. Justice demands accountability and action. I want to stand with others to recognize that only a 'just' city is a safe one."

But it's the continued threat of respiratory illness that prompted him to stay home, he said: "I also know that especially large gatherings still present great risk of spreading the virus in ways that would be hard to tract, isolate and control. On Friday, I extended our Stay Home – Stay Safe Order that calls for everyone to minimize their physical interactions so as to best keep us all safe. The virus is still among us and we must remain vigilant. I’m not going to attend the demonstration today. The peaceful gathering planned for today is another important moment compromised by the virus, which has already taken so much from all of us but especially black and brown communities. I ask those that attend to be disciplined about social distancing, wearing masks, and maintaining six-foot distancing. And absolutely, anyone not feeling well should stay at home."

Before the event was canceled, others had voiced support to the event's organizers, including members of the Travis County Delegation to the Texas House of Representatives who said in an advisory they "...stand together today in solidarity with all those peacefully protesting and calling for justice in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Michael Ramos and many others. The long history of systemic racism and brutality in American law enforcement systems require immediate and significant reform and accountability."

However, the delegation offered a caveat: "We do not condone any violence, including police violence," member wrote. "By the Constitution, protesters are guaranteed the right to express their views without fear of being shot at, tear-gassed, shoved or hit by police vehicles as we are seeing in video footage from across the nation. We must deescalate this situation and allow for peaceful protests, but we cannot do that as long as some in our American police forces fail in their sworn duty to create a calm and non-violent atmosphere for the expression of our First Amendment rights."

The delegation members added: "Similarly, we repudiate the attacks on our firefighters, police, EMS and other first responders who are working in good faith to facilitate constructive and conflict-free expressions of protest. While some protesters have acted violently, we are seeing across the country that they are often non-representative of the communities they are defacing and attacking. We cannot and will not allow these actions to invalidate the work of millions more calling for justice, peace and the immediate change we must have."

Protests have been sparked nationwide over the death of Floyd with local demonstrations starting on Friday evening and continuing through the weekend. In Austin, those decrying police abuse also have condemned the death of 42-year-old Michael Ramos, who was fatally shot by police on April 24. Despite a caller's assurance Ramos was brandishing a firearm outside an apartment complex, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed 18 days later that no gun was found in the dead man's vehicle or in the vicinity of the confrontation.