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The Austin Police Department (APD) has released mugshots of eight people who were arrested after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators turned violent this week.
The arrests came amid nationwide unrest that began in Los Angeles on June 7, when protests against recent ICE raids in the LA area turned violent, with agitators burning cars, throwing objects and fireworks at police, vandalizing property, blocking roads and resisting arrest throughout last weekend.
The LA riots have since bled into other major cities across the country, which are bracing for more protests and potential violence on Saturday.
After Monday’s protests in Austin, Texas, APD said the department “is committed to transparency and public safety and is sharing details regarding the events, officer injuries, arrests, and preparations for the days ahead.”
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“APD fully supports the constitutional right to peaceful protest and values civic engagement. However, unlawful actions that place the community or officers at risk will not be tolerated, and these incidents will be addressed,” APD said in a press release.
The Austin demonstration began at the Texas Capitol on Monday evening, which was closed at the time. Protesters moved through downtown Austin and eventually gathered at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, “where individuals began defacing property with graffiti,” APD said.
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“Officers issued dispersal orders and moved the crowd west along 8th Street. Two individuals were arrested for criminal mischief related to the graffiti,” police said.
Tensions continued to escalate throughout the evening as agitators began throwing rocks at officers, and one person spat in an officer’s eye, according to police.
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“In an effort to de-escalate, officers briefly withdrew, but the crowd advanced again. Officers held their position to prevent further damage and to protect both protesters and themselves, deploying pepperball towards the ground, to saturate the area,” APD said.
Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, which helped respond to the rioting, deployed tear gas to deter agitators from the federal building. Some protesters threw scooters and barricades into roadways as officers continued trying to contain the crowd.
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By the end of the evening, APD made eight arrests, noting that a total of four officers were injured and hospitalized in the riots. Three of the four officers were struck by rocks and the fourth suffered a shoulder injury. They are expected to make full recoveries, APD said.
Conor Williams and Abigail Pore are charged with criminal mischief related to graffiti on a federal building, Alexandra Haddix is charged with failure to obey a lawful order, Cody Bates is charged with harassment of a public official, Edgar Tovar is charged with reckless driving, Shaneal Harun is charged with rioting and resisting arrest, Margarito Perez Montalvo is charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest and Hayden Perez is charged with failure to obey a lawful order and harassment of a public servant.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced the deployment of National Guard troops across the state in response to protests.
“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources to uphold law and order across our state,” Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Fox News Digital in a statement earlier this week. “Texas National Guard soldiers are on standby in areas where mass demonstrations are planned in case they are needed.”
Mahaleris noted that while “peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation,” the Lone Star state “will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles.”
“Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Mahaleris said.
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