Over 5,000 people from across the state converged at the Texas Capitol on Saturday to protest actions by the Trump administration as part of a national day of action.
The “Fight the Trump Takeover” rally featured speeches from several legislators, activists and organizers, including Dolores Huerta — who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association — U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar, leaders from the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and various union leaders.
Drag performer Brigitte Bandit also performed a drag show to Dolly Parton’s “Go to Hell.”
Speakers railed against the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies. They also spoke broadly against state redistricting efforts and anti-LBGTQ+ legislation.
Favi Orrostieta, who traveled from Sandy Creek, a community heavily impacted by the Central Texas floods, called on Gov. Greg Abbott to provide flood relief to impacted communities. Orristieta denounced the legislature’s priority on redistricting, an effort that state House democrats said was being priorized over flood relief.
Call and response chants echoed throughout the two-hour rally, featuring phrases like “¡Sí, se puede!,” which translates to “Yes, we can” and was popularized by Huerta during the United Farm Workers movement, and “This is what democracy looks like.” Protesters flew Ukrainian and United Farm Workers flags and held signs denouncing different priorities of both the Texas Legislature and the Trump administration.
After the rally, activists with Hands Off Central Texas participated in an office-to-office protest at the Capitol, visiting legislators’ offices to advocate against redistricting efforts and to push them to approve flood relief funding.
