Photo: AFP
The City of Austin can expect to see more Texas DPS officers over the next few days. Governor Abbott has ordered the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to deploy both personnel and assets to the city.
This comes just days before the planned second round of "No Kings" protests across the nation. Demonstrations are set to be held in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and other cities and towns across the state.
While the last round of No Kings protests was largely peaceful here in Texas, there are concerns that things could be different this time around due to rising political temperatures.
Abbott appears to be trying to get out ahead of that possibility, saying in a press release, "Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas. Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard to deploy all necessary law enforcement officials and resources to ensure the safety of Austin residents. Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property."
The press release says that DPS will be monitoring the protests and any other potentially violent demonstrations across the state, and will investigate any links to known terrorist organizations.