PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – One-by-one, anti-Trump protesters shuffled on sidewalks behind Murchison Elementary School. With signs under-arm and chairs in hands, some wrinkled and others tiny, hundreds lined up along busy Kelly Lane for the second Austin-area “No Kings” demonstration Saturday.
No Kings protests calling out President Donald Trump are scheduled throughout the nation Saturday “in response to increasing authoritarian excesses.” The protests come the same day as President Donald Trump’s birthday and a military parade in Washington D.C. commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
KXAN identified more than 60 Texas locations listed online as participating in the protests. The protest organizers said a “core principal behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called in more than 5,000 Texas Army National Guard soldiers and thousands of Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to “bolster state and local law enforcement response to any criminal activity.”
The Pflugerville Police Department said it was “aware of a planned gathering” over the weekend. “We support our community’s right to peaceful assembly. We encourage anyone outside for long periods of time to stay hydrated, limit sun exposure and stay safe,” a spokesperson said.
These protests come a week after others sparked in Los Angeles following Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions there. Protests earlier this year in Pflugerville centered on a building KXAN confirmed is being used as an administrative office and processing center for ICE.
Retirees and young families line up for anti-Trump protest
Carol Teitelman organized Pflugerville’s demonstration and said an estimated 500 people showed up to Saturday’s gathering.
She said protesters had a number of concerns ranging from the Trump administration’s handling of immigration to education and LGBT+ issues.
Teitelman said the makeup of the crowd were largely retirees and families, a demographic she says is not usually comfortable traveling to downtown Austin for protests.
She said including that population in the nationwide day of protest was her main reason for organizing the event.
“Those folks don’t always want to drive downtown and they need a place to let their feelings be heard,” Teitelman said.
Clad in head-to-toe red and toting Trump 2024 campaign signs, Abhiram Garapati was the lone pro-Trump supporter at Pflugerville’s protest.
Garapati, who is running for Texas’s 31st Congressional District, said he felt it was important to attend the demonstration but in favor of Trump’s policies.
“Trump was elected by the people. He’s not a king. What are they protesting against,” Garapati said.
Pflugerville’s protest ended at 3 p.m. and ended without incident, according to organizers.