George Floyd protests in Texas
There have been a series of George Floyd protests in the U.S. state of Texas.
Locations
Abilene
Dozens marched around the city after gathering at the Abilene Police Department for a protest on May 31.June 8: Hundreds marched from the Abilene Convention Center to the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial bridge.
Alpine
Hundreds of people marched through the streets to the Brewster County courthouse. One West Texas journalist stated that he believed it was the largest protest he had seen in the Big Bend area. Police criticism had recently flared due to racist comments reportedly made by Brewster County sheriff candidate Devon Portillo. Portillo blamed the racist comments on hackers.Amarillo
A crowd of more than 100 marched from City Hall to Sam Houston Park starting around 10am on May 31. There were some conflicts with "armed individuals" and an opposing group that "came to protect the city and community from destruction."Arlington
On Monday, June 1, the first protests over Floyd's death occurred. As night fell, rioting began, with businesses near AT&T Stadium looted. Police arrested six people. Two hundred protestors gathered at Arlington City Hall on Tuesday, June 2.Austin
Several dozen protesters demonstrated in front of the Austin Police Department headquarters the night of May 29–30, with nine ultimately arrested. On May 30, thousands of protesters again gathered outside police headquarters. They then climbed on to I-35, stopping traffic on both sides. Demonstrators in Austin were also protesting over the killing of Mike Ramos on April 24, 2020, by Austin police officers; on May 29, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore announced that the shooting will go to a grand jury. On May 30, a sixteen year old protester was hospitalized after being shot by police in the head with a "beanbag" round. On May 31, a twenty year old protester was critically injured, after being shot with "less-lethal munition". The protester, named Justin Howell, suffered a fractured skull and brain damage. Volunteer medics picked up Howell's injured body, trying to get the police to give Howell medical attention. The police responded by firing "less-lethal munition" at the medics carrying Howell.On July 25, Garrett Foster was killed in a shooting in Downtown Austin. Initial reports reveal that Foster was carrying a rifle when he apportioned a vehicle. A person in the vehicle pulled out a firearm and shot Foster. Foster was soon taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. His mother went on Good Morning America the following morning and claimed that Foster had been pushing his fiancee's wheelchair moments before he was killed. Austin Police have released little information about the case as it is very early in the investigation.
Brownsville
On June 3, around 100 people peacefully protested at Linear Park before marching towards the Brownsville Police Department and the Cameron County Courthouse.Corpus Christi
Hundreds of people protested outside the City Hall building and marched their way towards downtown Corpus Christi on May 31. Social media posts falsely claimed the protest was more violent than it actually was.Dallas
Almost a thousand people protested in front of the Dallas Police Headquarters on May 29. The gathering and march organized was by the Next Generation Action Network. On the night of the 29th, some demonstrators broke windows, looted businesses, and set fires to dumpsters, trash cans, and patrol cars. Several police cruisers were damaged in the Deep Ellum neighborhood and downtown Dallas. One group of protesters then walked onto the freeway and blocked traffic on Interstate 35, shutting down traffic and torching a parked car. A man with a machete was badly injured by a mob. Video shows the man being beaten by 10-15 men. Objects used in the attack included a skateboard and several medium-sized rocks. Mayor Eric Johnson said that while the protests were largely respectful, the looting and destruction of property could not be allowed. On the night of June 1, nearly 700 peaceful demonstrators reached a police line on Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, before mace and other crowd control agents were fired at them. A police line subsequently advanced behind the protestors, preventing them from leaving. 674 people were ultimately charged with misdemeanors by the Dallas Police Department.Denton
Thousands of people marched around Denton on June 1 and subsequent days.Edinburg
Over 100 people protested outside of City Hall on May 30, despite the event having been officially postponed beforehand due to safety concerns.El Paso
On the night of May 29, the headquarters of the El Paso Police Department on Raynor Street was vandalized with graffiti reading "RIP George Floyd" and "No Justice No Peace". Two days later, on the night of Sunday, May 31, hundreds of protesters gathered in Memorial Park and knelt for an eight-minute moment of silence before marching to the El Paso Police Department. El Paso Police had asked on Twitter for "the public's support in making this a peaceful assembly as a tribute and in honor of Mr. George Floyd", and El Paso native Khalid encouraged the public to stay safe.Fort Worth
Community activists marched from the historic Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center without incident on May 29. About 200 peaceful protesters gathered downtown on May 30.Flower Mound
Dozens of sign-waving protesters gathered at a busy intersection in Flower Mound between June 1 and June 8.Frisco
Hundreds of protesters attended a rally on June 1 against police brutality, including the city's mayor and police chief.Galveston
On May 30, a group of 100 or more protested the death of George Floyd in Galveston. On June 6, surfers took part in a worldwide Paddle Out, a Hawaiian ritual for celebrating, mourning and remembering a life. Other events took place in France, Senegal, Australia, California, New Jersey and New York.Georgetown
Dozens protested the killing of George Floyd in Georgetown on June 3.Harlingen
A protest occurred on 3rd and Harrison avenue in Harlingen.Houston
May 29: Large numbers protested in George Floyd's hometown. Mayor Sylvester Turner made calls for unity and peace. Over 200 people were arrested, most with obstructing a roadway. According to police reports four officers suffered minor injuries and eight police vehicles were damaged. Houston police explained that they were investigating a video that appeared to show a female protester being trampled by a police officer on a horse.On Tuesday, June 2, thousands of people gathered for a march and rally in downtown Houston. Family members of George Floyd joined the march, which one source estimated at 60,000 people.
June 8: Thousands of mourners gathered for a viewing of George Floyd's body at The Fountain of Praise Church. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Mayor Sylvester Turner and George's younger brother Rodney were among the 10,000 expected to attend the visitation.
Keller
On Sunday afternoon, June 8, thousands of people of Keller and surrounding communities packed the pavilion at Bear Creek Park for a demonstration in honor of George Floyd. Organizers Charles Banks and Myles Britton and others addressed the crowd, after which around 3,000 protesters, per a Keller Police Department estimate, marched from Bear Creek Park to Keller Town Center.Laredo
Hundreds of people gathered at the City Hall building on May 30 and June 1 to peacefully protest in wake of the murder of George Floyd and police reform. There was a smaller protest on June 4 to make the public aware of police brutality and systemic racism.Lewisville
Hundreds of protesters attended a rally in Lewisville, which ended after police used tear gas. 9 people were arrested for obstructing a road.Lubbock
Nearly 200 people took a stand against racism and police brutality at Tim Cole Memorial Park on May 30.Lufkin
On May 31, nearly 100 people demonstrated and marched at the city hall in Lufkin. Protests lasted for about an hour. No injuries or property damage were reported.Mansfield
June 5: Hundreds of students from the Mansfield High School participated in a peaceful protest.Marshall
On June 9, around 50 people held a peaceful protest outside the Harrison County Courthouse to honor George Floyd and oppose police brutality. The event, which was organized by the group Marshall Against Violence, began with a moment of silence for two minutes and fifty-three seconds, representing the amount of time Floyd was left lying on the ground after being suffocated.McAllen
On June 5, protesters marched from Archer Park to city hall in support of Black Lives Matter. One man was arrested after wielding a chainsaw at protesters and yelling racial slurs.McKinney
On May 30, more than 200 teens organized a peaceful protest outside McKinney Police Headquarters.On June 1, a relatively small and peaceful protest occurred in front of the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney.
Protesters gathered in front of the courthouse in McKinney for a prayer vigil event called "A Gathering of Our Collin County Churches" on June 4.
On June 7, a small crowd of protesters gathered to express outrage about the Killing of George Floyd and also to bring awareness of the 2015 Texas pool party incident when a McKinney Police Officer was videotaped shoving a 15 year old African-American girl to the ground on June 5, 2015.
New Braunfels
More than 100 protesters called for change following the killing of George Floyd at an intersection in New Braunfels.Odessa
May 30: Hundreds marched and shared their thoughts on police violence downtown.Palestine
On June 1, approximately 50 people held a peaceful protest in Reagan Park. They lit candles and sat on one knee for eight minutes and forty-six seconds.Paris
On May 30, around three dozen people formed a peaceful protest at the downtown square; another took place on June 3. On June 18, more protesters demonstrated at the Lamar County Courthouse, where they chanted and sang against systemic racism.Plano
On June 2 and June 3, crowds of demonstrators marched in Plano.Round Rock
On May 31, one person stood alone on the corner of Red Bud Lane and Forest Creek Drive with a sign that read "End Systemic Racism." On June 1, 40 demonstrators had gathered there. These protests have continued nightly.San Angelo
Roughly 300 people marched from The Bosque on the Concho, a public park, along Irving Street to City Hall on May 31.San Antonio
Several thousand people protested peacefully downtown outside the San Antonio Public Safety Headquarters. Members of the This Is Texas Freedom Force, an armed right-wing group, stood guard in front of the Alamo and the adjacent Alamo Cenotaph memorial. The initially peaceful protests later erupted into riots, with police firing rubber bullets and deploying tear gas in order to disperse crowds; several businesses and city sites were damaged, resulting in the arrests of three San Antonio residents and one resident of nearby Uvalde. Three officers were reported injured following the protests.Southlake
On Saturday afternoon, June 7, Hundreds of people turned out for a peaceful march for racial equality in Southlake Town Square.The event, organized by a Carroll High School group called the Progressive Activism Club, was spurred by the recent death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.
Texarkana
On Saturday afternoon, May 30, 70 to 100 protesters gathered peacefully at the State Line Post Office to listen to speeches, then marched to downtown before returning northward to a parking lot at State Line and Arkansas Boulevard, where the crowd grew and passing motorists honked in support.Tyler
Protests with attendees counting dozens to hundreds have been occurring regularly in Tyler, a town in East Texas, a region rare for protest.University Park
On Saturday, June 6 at 10 AM, about 200 people gathered in Snider Plaza to peacefully march to demonstrate their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest the murder of George Floyd. As they gathered the protesters were harassed by an individual who blasted bagpipe music and yelled ‘shame on you.’ The protesters marched down Milton and Airline Avenues to Burleson Park, near the campus of Southern Methodist University. Once gathered at the park in a large circle, the protesters together in silence knelt on one knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to mourn the murder of George Floyd and many other black men and women. A few pro-life activists were part of the protest, including an African-American man who sang a civil rights anthem, and then was redirected by the crowd to commemorate George Floyd.Vidor
A protest was held on June 6 in Vidor, known as a sundown town and a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan. People gathered outside the Raymond Gould Community Center to unite in protesting George Floyd's murder. Speakers included the head of the Beaumont chapter of the NAACP as well as several Vidorians. Many of those present also acknowledged Vidor's own violent past. One account described "some 150 to 200 people standing in the sun, in the draining humidity and heat of Southeast Texas, ‘to come together in love and unity and to bind together under God,’ as Malone told the crowd. ‘My generation is reaching to break the cycle.’"Waco
On June 6, hundreds of protesters gathered in Indian Spring Park to honor the life of George Floyd. Later that evening, they marched to the McLennan County Courthouse, then turned back and kneeled in a moment of silence with their fists raised.Wichita Falls
On June 1, hundreds of people protested the killing of George Floyd in Park Central in downtown Wichita Falls. On June 6, a protests called "Stroll for Peace" marched from Spudder Park to the Wichita County Courthouse and back.Government response
On May 30, Governor Greg Abbott deployed more than 1,500 police officers to Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.On the weekend of June 6, Steve Hotze, who runs the political action committee Conservative Republicans of Texas, advised Governor Abbott in a voicemail to order the National Guard "to shoot to kill" rioters.