Austin protest slams COVID restrictions
AUSTIN — A few hundred conservative activists and Republican leaders protested outside the Governor’s Mansion on Saturday, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to end social restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
With appearances from Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, the demonstration was a sign of deepening divisions among some Texas conservatives, even in the weeks before what is likely to be a historic election.
Many of the protesters arrived maskless and draped in Trump memorabilia, carrying signs and chanting “Free Texas now.” Some invoked QAnon, the meritless pro-Trump conspiracy movement. Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist and the radio host behind Infowars, drove by in an armored vehicle, shouting from a megaphone.
The protesters demanded that Abbott end his statewide mask mandate and allowa full economic reopening. The governor, whose spokesman declined to comment, imposed new restrictions this summer amid a surge of infections and has kept some measures in place as schools reopen and public health experts warn about the potential for new outbreaks this fall and winter.
“The party is corrupt,” said Carole West, an attendee from North Texas. She said she voted for Abbott four years ago but was frustrated by his aggressive response to the pandemic and felt he had swung left in hopes of one day running for higher office.
“I don’t want another party politician,” she said.
Tom Glass, a Libertarian from Houston whose wife, Kathie Glass, challenged Abbott in the governor’s race two years ago, said he thought that Abbott “is a decent man, but he’s been turned to the dark side.”
“It’s sad to see,” Glass said. “His job is not to protect our safety, it’s to protect our rights.”
The protest came despite Abbott’s announcement Thursday that he would allow bars to partially reopen if approved by county officials. Some critics in the bar industry saw the move as a deflection, and several Democratic county judges in the biggest counties said itwas not safe enough yet for bars to reopen.
The demonstration also came just days before early voting begins for the Nov. 3 election, in which Democrats are sprinting to reclaim control of the state House for the first time in nearly two decades. Voters can begin going to the polls Tuesday.