With a light sprinkle to serve as a blessing, locals gathered in Civic League Park on Saturday to protest rising authoritarianism in America.
The nationwide “No Kings 2” protests were scheduled for most cities in Texas, but San Angelo had no need for National Guard troops, as everyone in attendance seemed hell-bent on civility, allowing the Police Department to ably handle the gathering.
Debate and discourse…
With signs held high alongside Sherwood Way, a few protesters took the time to engage with supporters of the man they were there to protest: Donald Trump.
At the other side of the park, a small group carrying Trump flags spoke with media along with a few members of the protest itself, who went over and discussed their views. From overhearing it seems they quickly started talking about side issues, seeming to find some common ground.
A couple counter protests rode scooters around the picket line, stopping many of the younger protestors, asking if they believed what their signs read. There was a bit of arguing but nothing escalated.
Organizers say…
Organizers with West Texas Indivisible say that recent national policy changes are trickling into small town politics in San Angelo: namely the recent censoring of all mentions of “gender ideology” from the curriculum, forcing Trans students to go by their deadnames. Along with major funding changes that threaten local non-profits and education.
They repeat loudly and often over the loudspeaker that the protests are patriotic, and it seemed the crowd agreed, with many holding signs that featured quotes from founding fathers.
Many showed up in costumes as well, as one organizer put it: “The ‘no kings’ movement has been slandered as Anti-American, and then you’ve got people showing up as an inflatable taco.”
At the end of the protest, the National Anthem was played.
Police deal with agitators professionally…
About a dozen or so police that were stationed at the corner for the protest, there were only a few times where they had to step in and move traffic along. One agitator ‘rolled coal’ with his diesel truck on the protestors and then sped up, breaking the speed limit. An SAPD squad truck quickly pulled him over.
