Austin protests against police violence spread, scatter

[TexasTowelie]

A crowd demonstrating in front of Austin Police Department headquarters Saturday evening scattered as officer fire multiple rounds of rubber bullets.

Several hours after demonstrations against police violence started in downtown Austin, the crowd of protesters was smaller but still vocal. Some protesters held signs and chanted. Some hurled water bottles at officers, as well as angry words.

Officers fired a volley of less lethal rounds about 9:15 p.m.

Many in the crowd, hands raised above their heads, screamed, “Don’t shoot.”

Moments later an American flag could be seen burning in parking lot behind the police building.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20200530/austin-protests-against-police-violence-spread-scatter

[catrose]

1. A photographer (not in Austin) is now blind in one eye from being shot with a rubber bullet.

Other places are shooting with bean bags--one guy at Standing Rock lost an eye when shot with one. Maybe they're not lethal, but they sure can do damage.

[efhmc]

2. What is happening today?

[TexasTowelie]

3. Organizers cancel Sunday rally following 19 arrests in downtown protests

A march planned for the grounds of the Texas Capitol on Sunday has been canceled, event organizers said.

The Austin Justice Coalition planned a march to stand in solidarity with Minneapolis as they continue to fight for Justice for George Floyd as well as raise the name of Mike Ramos, who was killed in late April by Austin Police officers.

Austin Justice Coalition director Chas Moore said that others have “co-opted — and in a way colonized like they do everything else — this particular moment. White people have colonized the black anger and the black movement and have used black pain and black outrage to completely become anarchists in this moment.”

He said the group could not ensure the safety of black protesters. “There’s no way I can put black bodies at any risk or any danger more than we already are just by existing,” Moore said.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20200531/protesters-return-to-streets-of-austin-despite-cancellation-of-capitol-rally