'White Lives Matter' protest leads to arrests and clashes
'White Lives Matter' protest leads to clashes and arrests in Texas
Counter-protesters confronted group at Texas capitol after governor dedicates monument recognizing African American contributions to the state
A man shouts at another, left, trying to join a ‘White Lives Matter’ group outside the Texas state capitol in Austin. Photograph: James Gregg/AP
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Eight people were arrested on Saturday when a small group of protesters calling themselves “White Lives Matter” were confronted by counter-demonstrators supporting Black Lives Matter at the Texas state capitol near where Governor Greg Abbott had earlier dedicated a monument recognizing the contributions of African Americans to the state.
Texas department of public safety spokesman Sgt Victor Taylor said four of the arrests were for assault, two for evading arrest, one for disorderly conduct and one for “interference with public duty”. Two of those arrested were on capitol grounds and the others on adjacent streets.
“Some protesters assaulted other protesters,” Taylor said. “We don’t know for sure which side they were on. A lot of them were commingled.”
Austin police and state troopers dressed in riot gear and some mounted on horseback had tried to keep the two groups separated.
Taylor said the confrontation did not affect the unveiling of the monument, which was in a different part of the grounds. A state helicopter circled overhead.
About two dozen individuals with the White Lives Matter group, some of whom were armed, demonstrated against what they called the unequal application of hate crimes laws, which they said were applied in a way that favored minorities. The group said it was a coincidence that its protest was held at about the same time as the ceremony for the monument.
White Lives Matter member and protest organizer Ken Reed said into a bullhorn that his group was concerned with “white people’s preservation”.
“You all are anti-white and anti-American,” he told the counter-protesters, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
The White Lives Matter group was shouted down by several hundred counter-protesters, who held up signs that said “Stand Against Hate” and “Black Lives Matter”.
One of them, Marie Catrett, said she came to stand up for the rights of minorities.
“I think they are full of hatred,” Catrett said about the White Lives Matter group. “They don’t represent our community or our values.”
Honestly why do we let people like this live? What is the value of a life that is 100% detrimental to each and every part of society? I just can't! The reason #BlackLivesMatter exists is because everybody already knows what white ones does.
Just why #AllLivesMatter is dumb - we already know that the white ones do, so they don't need further support.
‘White Lives Matter’ ?? A joke ... these white people who honestly believe in this need to open up a history book and come to terms with the dynamics of race in the United States... these constant news reports of young black people losing their lives at the hands of the police for something that a white person would get off the hook for is not some damn lie. White people dont need to campaign for ‘White Lives Matter’ because White Americans are not being targeted by law enforcement and government officials just for the color of their skin or ethnicity. The everyday White American has no reason to fear law enforcement like Black Americans do