SAN ANTONIO – Multiple protests are planned in San Antonio on Saturday to rally against President Donald Trump and immigration arrests that have been happening across the country.
Despite no signs of potential violence, misleading social media posts have been spreading, suggesting that demonstrators will be armed with bricks.
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An image that has been sent to the KSAT newsroom several times this week shows pallets of bricks at Avenue B and McCullough Avenue.
“A ”peaceful protest” is scheduled for tomorrow with pallets getting placed all over downtown," the text on the image states.
It’s unclear when the photo was taken.
However, KSAT’s Avery Everett and Matt Craig drove by the intersection on Friday afternoon and noticed the lot was clear.
Nearby, at 6th Street and Avenue B, a construction site with bricks and pallets was secured by fencing.
KSAT has reached out to San Antonio police regarding the viral photo.
What businesses are doing
Although there is no indication that Saturday’s protests will become violent, some bars and restaurants are preparing for any such possibility.
Avery saw about half a dozen other storefronts make the decision to board up their windows.
The owner of Club Sirius told Avery she’s debating sleeping overnight in her shop.
On Wednesday, Daniel Rivera, the manager of 4th Bar and Lounge, told KSAT took “precautions” ahead of a demonstration and boarded his windows.
“The last time they did protest, that protest turned to a riot pretty much,” Rivera said. “So, we don’t know what to expect this year."
Rivera referred to 2020, when protesters took to the downtown streets protesting racial inequality and the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“Last time, they broke three of our windows, and it was right after COVID,” Rivera said. “So, we didn’t even have insurance at the time or anything.”
Some businesses with boarded-up windows are simply abandoned.
In Main Plaza, the windows of vacant buildings have been boarded up for years, unrelated to the upcoming protest preparations.
How the city is preparing
Earlier in the week, San Antonio police Chief William McManus and Mayor Ron Nirenberg outlined the city’s safety plan, saying the top priorities include ensuring safety for all involved.
“We’ve established protocols to ensure demonstrations are managed safely and effectively,” McManus said. “These plans allow for the free expression of First Amendment rights while reducing risks to public safety.”
If police intervention is deemed necessary, McManus said it would be carried out according to SAPD policies with a “strong emphasis on de-escalation and maintaining order.”
Following McManus, Nirenberg acknowledged the “anger and frustration with the federal government’s crude interpretations of immigration law and cruel approach to human rights.”
He also reinforced the chief’s call for peaceful protesting.
On Wednesday, hundreds of people protested downtown. No one was injured and no buildings were damaged, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Amid nationwide protests that included clashes in Los Angeles, Dallas and Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the Texas National Guard and DPS to help with local law enforcement in Texas cities.
On Thursday, he ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and 2,000 state police. When reached by KSAT, his office did not say where the troops were sent or how many arrived in San Antonio.
