Austin Mayor Responds to Greg Abbott's 'No Kings' Protest Order

Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced this week the deployment of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to Austin ahead of the “No Kings” protest that is planned for October 18^th. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has responded to the governor’s order, assuring that the city is ready to cooperate while protecting “the right of people to peacefully assemble.”

Across the country, protestors will gather over the weekend to push back against the Trump Administration through “No Kings” demonstrations.

Governor Abbott, linking the protests to Antifa, announced that the state is ready to protect Austin from “violence and destruction.”

In a statement, Mayor Watson confirmed that the Texas National Guard “will be prepared to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety and otherwise take actions on Saturday, if deemed necessary.” However, “the Guard will not be on the streets of Austin unless there is a determination that there is an emergency need.”

“Power should always stay with the people – where it belongs,” the mayor said, pledging that “the City of Austin and I will continue to protect the right of people to peacefully assemble.” “I support people exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest against politics and policies that they disagree with,” Mayor Watson affirmed.

The “No Kings” protests were first organized on June 14^th, 2025, to coincide with the U.S. Army’s 250^th Anniversary Parade and President Donald Trump’s (R) 79^th birthday.

Protestors largely gathered across the country to push back against alleged corruption and authoritarianism from the Trump Administration.

Republicans have denounced the protests, highlighting that organizations like Communist Party USA are sponsoring the protests.

"Much of what we see out of Washington is to create fear and chaos," Mayor Watson concluded in his statement. "Unfortunately, our state engages in this, too. We should not play into these politics."