Austin, TX – On Thursday evening, October 29, a group of around ten students gathered on the University of Texas at Austin campus to rally for women’s and LGBTQ rights. Led by the Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the rally focused on student demands of the UT Austin administration, calling on the university to provide free menstrual products and contraceptives in all campus bathrooms. Students are also demanding the university declare itself a sanctuary campus for trans youth in light of legislative attacks earlier this year against trans youth receiving gender-affirming care.
Austin, TX – The Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a rally at the University of Texas at Austin on September 15 in defense of women's and reproductive rights, as a part of the National SDS Day of Action. About 35 students rallied at 6 p.m. at the corner of Speedway and 21st Street on UT campus. Speakers from six other organizations gave speeches condemning the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Texas Heartbeat Act.
Austin, TX – In the middle of thunderstorms and a tornado watch, around 200 people gathered in central Austin, May 5, for a march and rally for abortion rights called by U.T. Austin student groups, Students for a Democratic Society and the Feminist Action Project. The organizations called the protest in response to the draft opinion that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.
Austin, TX – On Thursday evening, February 24, students at the University of Texas at Austin gathered at a campus plaza to demand justice for Amir Locke, who was murdered by Minneapolis police earlier this month. The group held signs and chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, these racist cops have got to go!” and “Say his name: Amir Locke.” A few passersby joined the speak-out upon hearing the chants and reading the signs.
Austin, TX – On the evening of February 1, around 15 students at the University of Texas at Austin rallied on the steps of UT Tower to speak out for abortion rights.
Austin, TX – On the evening of September 9, a small group of students rallied in front of the University of Texas at Austin’s Littlefield Fountain to protest against police crimes and racism. Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) called the rally as part of the national SDS day of action to stop police crimes.
Austin, TX – Around 100 people rallied at the Texas State Capitol on September 1 to protest against the statewide abortion ban that went into effect that same day. Texas abortion clinics have been forced to stop taking appointments in order to avoid what could be thousands of lawsuits against them. The new law especially affects low-income and working-class women who don’t have the resources to take time off work, since the ban forces women in Texas to drive an average of 248 miles one way to access an abortion clinic out of state.
Austin, TX – On March 30, around 30 students and activists from all over Austin converged on the State Capitol building in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day. The action was organized by Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), a local group dedicated to organizing in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against the Israeli occupation.
Austin, TX – Protesters gathered in front of the Capitol building to listen to speeches in solidarity with Minneapolis on March 8, the first day of Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd.
Austin, TX – On February 21, a crowd of around 50 people gathered in front of the Homeless Memorial Tree, a local landmark that bears dog tags with the names of 256 homeless people who died in Austin in 2020 alone. In the wake of Winter Storm Uri, community members gathered to participate in the Street Memorial ATX Arctic Week of Crisis, an event organized by Stop the Sweeps Austin, Human Kindness/House the Poor, and The Challenger Street Newspaper. They gathered to mourn the lives lost after unprecedented freezing temperatures wrecked the state, and to express outrage over the city’s inaction in providing any meaningful aid.
