Travis County delegates issue joint statement supporting peaceful protests, condemning violence

AUSTIN, Texas - The members of the Travis County Delegation to the Texas House of Representatives have issued a joint statement supporting peaceful protests while condemning violence and destruction. The statement comes following days of growing anger and unrest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

"We do not condone any violence, including police violence. By the Constitution, protesters are guaranteed the right to express their views without fear of being shot at, tear-gassed, shoved or hit by police vehicles as we are seeing in video footage from across the nation," the joint statement reads, in part. "We must de-escalate this situation and allow for peaceful protests, but we cannot do that as long as some in our American police forces fail in their sworn duty to create a calm and non-violent atmosphere for the expression of our First Amendment rights."

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Thousands of protesters took to the streets in downtown Austin

As the protest carried into the night, a car and a dumpster were set on fire in front of APD headquarters.

People have been gathering in major cities across the United States to protest the death of George Floyd. Floyd was an unarmed black man who died after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for an extended period of time. Chauvin has since been charged with third-degree murder.

Thousands of people had gathered in front of APD’s headquarters in downtown Austin on Saturday, May 30 for a peaceful protest. The protesters marched from APD's headquarters to the Texas State Capitol and back. People also began making their way onto I-35, blocking traffic and causing major traffic delays.

It also led to service disruptions for CapMetro.

Throughout Saturday, officers used pepper spray and what appeared to be rubber bullets to control the crowds of protesters. Protesters threw water and other objects at the police officers.

As the night progressed, a car was set on fire. A mattress from a transient camp nearby as well as the dumpster for the Gulf gas station near APD headquarters.

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Car set on fire at George Floyd protest in downtown Austin

Protesters took to the streets in downtown Austin, demanding justice for George Floyd and Mike Ramos.

"Moving forward we are hopeful that today’s protest, and those that continue across Texas and the United States, will remain peaceful and that we can begin to address the underlying causes of this unrest," the statement continued. "We need serious reform of law enforcement and accountability across the system."

Another protest had been scheduled at the Texas State Capitol for 1 p.m. today, but organizers announced it was canceled on social media.

You can read the full joint statement below:

The members of the Travis County Delegation to the Texas House of Representatives stand together today in solidarity with all those peacefully protesting and calling for justice in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Michael Ramos and many others. The long history of systemic racism and brutality in American law enforcement systems require immediate and significant reform and accountability.

We do not condone any violence, including police violence. By the Constitution, protesters are guaranteed the right to express their views without fear of being shot at, tear gassed, shoved or hit by police vehicles as we are seeing in video footage from across the nation. We must de-escalate this situation and allow for peaceful protests, but we cannot do that as long as some in our American police forces fail in their sworn duty to create a calm and non-violent atmosphere for the expression of our First Amendment rights.

Similarly, we repudiate the attacks on our firefighters, police, EMS and other first responders who are working in good faith to facilitate constructive and conflict-free expressions of protest. While some protesters have acted violently, we are seeing across the country that they are often non-representative of the communities they are defacing and attacking. We cannot and will not allow these actions to invalidate the work of millions more calling for justice, peace and the immediate change we must have.

We are devastated by the destruction of businesses struggling in the midst of a crisis to serve their communities, particularly by those outsiders who only seek to cause division and mayhem. We also do not condone the desecration of the Capitol, but ultimately buildings can be fixed and paint can be removed. The lives of George Floyd, Michael Ramos and many more cannot be returned. We recognize that if we want to end this unrest, it requires addressing the root causes of our community’s anger.

Moving forward we are hopeful that today’s protest, and those that continue across Texas and the United States, will remain peaceful and that we can begin to address the underlying causes of this unrest. We need serious reform of law enforcement, and accountability across the system.

In Solidarity,

Eddie Rodriguez
State Representative, District 51

Donna Howard
State Representative, District 48

Celia Israel
State Representative, District 50

Gina Hinojosa
State Representative, District 49

Sheryl Cole
State Representative, District 46

Vikki Goodwin
State Representative, District 47