Abbott to deploy Texas National Guard during 'No Kings' protests: 'A planned antifa-linked demonstration'

Texas will send the National Guard to a No Kings protest in Austin. The goal, asserted in a statement, is to "protect" Texans from "a planned antifa-linked demonstration."

"Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas," said Governor Greg Abbott, who assured that the state will "deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property."

Specifically, the Texas government ordered the dispatch of the National Guard, state police, special agents and Texas Rangers. Forces that will be accompanied by "other tactical assets" such as aircraft.

In addition, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will investigate "any links to known terrorist organizations."

The demonstration in Austin will begin Saturday afternoon at the state Capitol, as part of a series of demonstrations organized in different parts of the country to protest the government's agenda.

The convocation was baptized No Kings in allusion to Donald Trump, whom organizers accuse of abusing presidential powers, ruling as a king. It is not the first time they have done such a thing: in June they marched during the president's birthday, an occasion on which Abbott also deployed additional security forces.

Democrats also accuse Abbott of ruling like a king

The Democratic Party backed the nationwide protests, with calls to participate coming from figures including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former president and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Texas Democrats followed suit. Following the announcement of the deployment of state forces, the Texas Democratic Party issued a statement accusing Abbott of having acted like a kingmaker himself.

"Greg Abbott is doing everything he can to suck up to Donald Trump, including taking a page from Trump’s authoritarian playbook, and intimidating people exercising their First Amendment right," argued Kendall Scudder, chairman of the state branch of the blue party.

Scudder maintained that he will attend the march, after asserting that the governor wanted to "incite violence against the crowd and try to make you afraid to come out, exactly like a king or those protecting a king would."

Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu also took aim at Abbott: "Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them."