​




This past Wednesday, 1/28, Texas Department of Public Safety police/troops gassed and attacked peaceful protestors at the immigration detainment camp in Dilley, Texas. 

This is where the five year old abducted by ICE is in Minnesota is held captive. This is where last week, there was a protest by children and adults about squalid conditions inside. 

The protest far outside the facility was peaceful until DPS arrived. The picture above is from AFP News Agency-Agence France-Presse. I'm glad the world sees what we are. Everyone should see what we are and what power looks like in Texas. 

Below is a DPS troop looking at me at the October 18 No Kings protest in Downtown Houston. 

In August of 2023, I wrote about then-Senator Whitmire's intent to bring DPS troops to Houston if elected Mayor. 

Here is what I said: 

State Senator & Houston Mayoral candidate John Whitmire wants to bring 200 Texas Department of Public Safety troops to patrol the streets of Houston.  

​These troopers are in Austin. At first, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson was in favor of DPS being stationed in his city. Then there were concerns about Blacks and Latinos being targeted by DPS. Now Mayor Watson wants the state troopers to leave and Governor Abbott says no.        

Here is what Senator Whitmire says about his ability to control how Governor Abbott would use the troopers in Houston:   

“I’m not Gov. Abbott, I’m not the mayor of Austin. I have been in the Legislature long enough to know how the political scene works in Austin. I can handle the responsibility of telling the governor we’re going to do it the Houston way,” .....

There is no reason to believe Senator Whitmire will be able to restrain Governor Abbott or Greg Abbott's police. It's not a solid wager with democracy at stake.  There is no public safety without democracy.  

The anti-democratic Republican Party is a top public safety threat to the people of Houston & Harris County. For all his emphasis on public safety issues, Senator Whitmire appears blind to the threat.     

All of this is more so today. Governor Abbott is threatening to take over Harris County elections. Abbott does what Trump tells him to do. 

When Abbott takes over our elections, ICE shoots someone in Houston or Trump suspends civil liberties, you can wager good money that DPS will not be reliably on the side of our freedom. 
​

​



We had 64 for the nine year anniversary of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest this past Tuesday.
We are going to have to show up for ourselves.

When Abbott takes over our elections and we can't trust the vote count, when the federal government commits outrages in Houston/Harris County (ICE is here now), when Trump suspends civil liberties--It will be us on the street. Just like in Minnesota.

We've sustained the protest for nine years with no funding and by showing up.

There is a lot of trouble ahead. Let's be ready to meet the moment. Just like in Minnesota. We will have few reliable partners outside our self-organized selves. Especially here under Abbott and Whitmire.
​
Please join us each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr.

​At today's, 1/28, Agenda Session of Houston City Council, some councilmembers used the time known as "Pop Off" to discuss the lively Council Public Comment Session last night mostly focused on HPD working with ICE. Conversation was about policies the city might enact regarding HPD/ICE & aspects of how the meeting last night was conducted. Here is my report on last night's meeting. 

Why should we pay attention to these meetings?

1. To press for the policy goal of Houston City Council of ending or sharply restricting non-safety traffic stops by HPD. ICE should not be contacted over a busted taillight or tinted windows. Some Councilmmebers appear open to this idea. 

2. To push back on Mayor Whitmire's shameful and repeated narrative that there is trouble in places like Chicago and Minnesota because people are fighting back against ICE, rather than because of the conduct of the abuser. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were not aggressors. 

3. Most importantly-- To organize ourselves. Elected officials are secondary. We've seen in Minnesota that our freedom is up to us. Rather than be quiet as Mayor Whitmire says we should do, we should instead show up at meetings, contact council relentlessly, meet fellow organizers and rank & file Houstonians who are also getting involved, and be ready to show up for ourselves at council and on the streets. 

The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, the only credential needed is your presence. 

Which Councilmembers spoke this morning and what did they say? (I've included the time on the HTV Facebook feed when Councilmembers spoke. If you play around with the rebroadcast, you'll get the hang of navigating it. See for yourself what is going on.)

Democrat Mario Castillo, at the 48 minute point of the HTV feed, said the City of Houston website should list the proper time of the evening monthly public comment session. The website says 5:30 PM. The meeting yesterday who began at 5. He also said the security screening process to let people into council chambers should be improved, so people can get into the chamber to speak. Both these concerns were an issue last night. People signed up to speak and went to City Hall, but were then not able to speak. Mayor Whitmire ignored Mr. Castillo's comment. 

Republican Willie Davis at 49 minutes said that some people speaking last were rude and disrespectful. He said we should be "civil." He will "pray" that such conduct is not repeated. Councilmember Davis did not note that he is a partisan Republican who bears direct responsibility for ICE and everything Trump does. He did not say he would pray for ICE to conduct itself in a different manner. 

Democrat Joaquin Martinez at 1 hour, 3 minutes, said he thinks of vulnerable immigrants "first and foremost in decisions that I make." That's fair. He has better insight into that community than I do.

Civil liberties and Constitutional rights are things many people have fought and died for. These concerns must also be at the top of Councilmember Martinez's thinking. Mr. Martinez has a view apparently informed by Mayor Whitmire that the people doing these terrible things can be appeased. Where is the off ramp? We know it's not the cold-blooded killings of peaceful protestors on the streets of Minneapolis by ICE. Will it be when Greg Abbott follows through on his threats to take over Harris County elections in 2026 and we can't be assured of a fair vote count? 

Democrat Edward Pollard at 1 hour, 9 minutes, said the city should give people the right time for public comment sessions and reasserted his opposition to ICE. 

Democrat Alejandra Salinas at 1 hour, 13 minutes, denounced the ICE murders in Minnesota and said she would work to lessen the prospect of such a thing happening in Houston. She remains consistent with her campaign commitments to aggressively oppose ICE and stand up to Mayor Whitmire when required. 

Republican Twila Carter at 1 hour, 14 minutes, said the media should partner with the city and HPD to get the right messages out. You see her below in these comments. Like Mr. Davis, Ms. Carter is a partisan Republican who effectively helped put the guns used in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in the hands of ICE agents. Trump likes state-run media and so it seems does Councilmember Carter. 

Democrat Carolyn Evans-Shabazz at 1 hour, 22 minutes, said the City of Houston should limit or end non-safety traffic stops to free up officers for other things and limit prospects of HPD contacting ICE over minor things. This is the 3rd time I've heard Councilmember Evans-Shabazz say the non-safety traffic stops should be restricted. That's just the point we are working to make. You see her above in her comments. 

This is the information I have. The next steps are up to you. 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

​ I watched today, 1/27, the monthly evening Public Comment Session of Houston City Council. Here is the HTV broadcast of the meeting. The meeting starts at the 5 minute point.

Here is a quick report:

It was lively tonight. Many people spoke forcefully against HPD working with ICE. Mayor Whitmire is slow to direct police officers to remove people who speak over time-allowed. He's been okay with that as Mayor. It seemed clear HPD was hands off tonight.

The new practice tonight was to cut off the microphone.

It's something that Mayor Whitmire with $12 million in his campaign bank and the messaging power that affords him, needs to cut people off. He made that money as an elected official off our votes. He can listen for a few extra minutes. 

No Councilmember offered any feedback to people speaking about ICE/HPD. The Houstonian in the picture above offered her perspective to how Council has responded to HPD/ICE & standing up to Abbott and the federal government.

The point was also made that Mayor Whitmire keeps blaming protestors of trouble in cities, rather than the actions of ICE. He does this over and over. People noted that appeasing Abbott & Trump just won't work when all is said and done.
​
I'm glad to report I know four of the speakers tonight personally. I'm hanging out with the right people. 

A policy goal sought in Houston is stopping/restricting non-safety traffic stops so there is less prospect HPD will encounter someone they choose to call ICE about.

Based on the imperfect tool of considering public statements made by politicians, ( I watch every Public comment Session & Agenda Session of Houston City Council) here is where Councilmembers may stand on the traffic stop issue:

Willing to discuss it & hopefully open to HPD policy change:
Democrats Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Abbie Kamin, Alejandra Salinas, Ed Pollard & Tarsha Jackson. (Ms. Jackson is on medical leave, but her office is open.) Also-Republican Julian Ramirez.

Not clear where they stand on HPD policy change:
Democrats Tiffany Thomas, Sallie Alcorn, Mario Castillo, Martha Castex-Tatum & Joaquin Martinez.

Ms. Castex-Tatum is Mayor Pro Tem which makes her #2 to Mayor Whitmire. She's a citywide official who merits call/e-mail on any important concern.

Likely a lost cause, but still should be contacted to tell them ICE brutalizes people and Trump is attacking democracy:
Republicans Twila Carter, Mary Nan Huffman, Fred Flickinger, Willie Davis & Amy Peck.

Here is information about interacting with & following Houston City Council: 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

​With ICE murdering a 2nd person in Minnesota, how can each of us here in the Houston-region, take the lead and take part in opposing the terrible things taking place everywhere in this country? 

You & I are the main act. It’s the rank & file doing the organizing, being over-policed when we protest, being threatened by the right, being gassed and being shot. The next action or protest is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. 

There are three standing weekly protests in Harris County you can attend:

John Cornyn Houston Office Protest 
11:30 AM-1 PM, each Tuesday, 5300 Memorial Dr. 

Dan Crenshaw Office Protest 
10 AM-11 AM, each Thursday, intersection of Kingwood Dr & Green Oak Dr. 

Hands Off Protest
Noon-1, each Friday, 13302 Westheimer. Intersection of Westheimer and Eldridge 

You can start a weekly protest yourself, or just go alone or rustle up a few folks with signs and stand at a visible corner or at the end of your street. Whatever you do is correct. 

You see below word of a protest in La Porte on 1/31. There are like-minded people in every community & every neighborhood across the Houston-region.
​
I also want to repost my Houston Democracy Project Blog post from 1/24 about the status of conversations and , hopefully at some point soon, action from Houston City Council. 

At Houston City Council Public Comment Session on Wednesday, 1/21, Houstonian Erandi Trevino spoke before Council about ICE and HPD cooperating with ICE.

If Ms. Trevino had not spoken, there would likely have been no discussion of ICE at Council. 

Ms. Trevino's comments sparked a nearly 30 minute conversation. You can watch it yourself. It starts at the 2 hour and 2 minute point of the HTV broadcast of the meeting and ends at 2 hours 31 minutes. 

It helps to see and hear councilmembers. Being able to speak confidently about what is going on will  strengthen your advocacy. There are not many people watching these meetings. You can make a difference just like Ms. Trevino. 

(Each of us are the main act. Elected officials are secondary. The lead in Minneapolis-St. Paul has been taken by rank & file people who have organized themselves. I've written at length about actions across the Houston-region lead by people no different than yourself. The next protest or action is when you organize it. )

From the discussion Wednesday, it seems possible Houston City Council is moving toward limiting non-safety traffic stops by HPD. If people are not pulled over for things like tinted windows and broken taillights, then HPD is not in a place to become aware of immigration status and contact ICE. Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz said that would be a good idea and some councilmembers appeared sympathetic. This is the 2nd time Dr. Evans-Shabazz has offered this idea. 

Other councilmembers who spoke productively (To my best most hopeful guess.) were Edward Pollard, Abbie Kamin, Alejandra Salinas and Republican Julian Ramirez. Tarsha Jackson appeared to support the non-safety traffic stop idea last month at Council. She is currently on medical leave.

Council Democrats who retain the opportunity to add to the public discussion on HPD/ICE are Sallie Alcorn, Joaquin Martinez, Tiffany Thomas, Mario Castillo & Martha Castex-Tatum. 

Mayor Whitmire also spoke. He said non-safety traffic stops sometimes lead to finding people wanted for serious crimes or lead to solving serious crimes. Mayor Whitmire then conflated non-safety stops with stops for red light running. Nobody was saying don't give tickets to red light runners. Surely there is enough speeding, aggressive driving and red-light running to police in Houston without worrying about tinted windows. 

The Mayor also-yet again-implied the reason other cities are having disturbances is because people are responding to ICE abuses. It is the abuser that is at fault. Not the victims of the abuse. 

The Mayor discussed funds that might be lost if we push back on ICE. I understand that. But access to our own tax dollars cannot be contingent on accepting the loss of our rights. Mayor Whitmire keeps saying we should accept that trade off. He offers no off ramp to this deal with the devil. We see it extends to the brutality of ICE. Will it go as far as accepting Greg Abbott taking control of Harris County elections as he is threatening? There would be no way to trust the vote count with Greg Abbott in charge. 

The next public comment session time for Houston City Council is at 5 PM on Tuesday, 1/27.  

Below is information on how you can be a part of the process at Houston City Council: 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—713-837-0311 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

At Houston City Council Public Comment Session on Wednesday, 1/21, Houstonian Erandi Trevino spoke before Council about ICE and HPD cooperating with ICE. You see Ms. Trevino above. 

If Ms. Trevino had not spoken, there would likely have been no discussion of ICE at Council. 

Ms. Trevino's comments sparked a nearly 30 minute conversation. You can watch it yourself. It starts at the 2 hour and 2 minute point of the HTV broadcast of the meeting and ends at 2 hours 31 minutes. 

It helps to see and hear councilmembers. Being able to speak confidently about what is going on will  strengthen your advocacy. There are not many people watching these meetings. You can make a difference just like Ms. Trevino. 

(Each of us are the main act. Elected officials are secondary. The lead in Minneapolis-St. Paul has been taken by rank & file people who have organized themselves. I've written at length about actions across the Houston-region lead by people no different than yourself. The next protest or action is when you organize it. )

From the discussion Wednesday, it seems possible Houston City Council is moving toward limiting non-safety traffic stops by HPD. If people are not pulled over for things like tinted windows and broken taillights, then HPD is not in a place to become aware of immigration status and contact ICE. Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz said that would be a good idea and some councilmembers appeared sympathetic. This is the 2nd time Dr. Evans-Shabazz has offered this idea. 

Other councilmembers who spoke productively (To my best most hopeful guess.) were Edward Pollard, Abbie Kamin, Alejandra Salinas and Republican Julian Ramirez. Tarsha Jackson appeared to support the non-safety traffic stop idea last month at Council. She is currently on medical leave.

Council Democrats who retain the opportunity to add to the public discussion on HPD/ICE are Sallie Alcorn, Joaquin Martinez, Tiffany Thomas, Mario Castillo & Martha Castex-Tatum. 

Mayor Whitmire also spoke. He said non-safety traffic stops sometimes lead to finding people wanted for serious crimes or lead to solving serious crimes. Mayor Whitmire then conflated non-safety stops with stops for red light running. Nobody was saying don't give tickets to red light runners. Surely there is enough speeding, aggressive driving and red-light running to police in Houston without worrying about tinted windows. 

The Mayor also-yet again-implied the reason other cities are having disturbances is because people are responding to ICE abuses. It is the abuser that is at fault. Not the victims of the abuse. 

The Mayor discussed funds that might be lost if we push back on ICE. I understand that. But access to our own tax dollars cannot be contingent on accepting the loss of our rights. Mayor Whitmire keeps saying we should accept that trade off. He offers no off ramp to this deal with the devil. We see it extends to the brutality of ICE. Will it go as far as accepting Greg Abbott taking control of Harris County elections as he is threatening? There would be no way to trust the vote count with Greg Abbott in charge. 

The next public comment session time for Houston City Council is at 5 PM on Tuesday, 1/27.  

Below is information on how you can be a part of the process at Houston City Council: 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—713-837-0311 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

​Great to see students at Channelview High School walk out of class today walk out of class today  to protest ICE. (Picture above from Channel 2.) 

Since the ICE murder of Renee Good, there have been grassroots-organized ICE protests across the Houston region in Katy, Clear Lake, Conroe, Kingwood, Galveston, Cypress, Downtown Houston, Pearland, Sugar Land as well as near the Galleria. There is one scheduled for La Porte at the end of the month.

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Every community is part of the fight. The work ahead is ours.

​
​
I was a speaker today at Downtown Houston protest marking one year since the 2nd Trump Inauguration. There were about 400 people at Houston City Hall. Above is me speaking & below is a picture I took of some of the crowd from where I was speaking. 

​Here is what I said: 

My name is Neil Aquino. I’m the founder of the Houston Democracy Project. 

Right off I want to tell you—The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. 

This protest is Downtown. But it’s at not the center. In recent weeks, there have been fully grassroots protests to remember Renee Good and oppose ICE, organized in Katy, Clear Lake, Conroe, Kingwood, Galveston, Cypress, Pearland, Sugar Land as well as near the Galleria.  I saw last night a new event for the end of the month in La Porte. 

Much of this is the ongoing and growing infrastructure of the No Kings protests. It is the work we are doing. 

No community is on the periphery. No person is on the periphery. We are all in this fight. 

Connect with your neighbor. Connect with your friend or family member anyplace in the Houston region. Let people know they have allies and comrades no matter where they are. We are all in this fight. 

We are at Houston City Hall. There is a mayor, a city controller and 16 council members. The Mayor is John Whitmire. The Controller is Chris Hollins. The Mayor Pro Tem is Martha Castex-Tatum. She should be seen as a citywide official. There are 10 Democrats and 6 Republicans on Council. 

We have a new Councilmember, Alejandra Salinas, who won election in good part because she spoke about ICE and democracy & said she was willing to stand up to Mayor Whitmire. We must hold Ms. Salinas to her pledges. 

Every elected official takes an oath to the Constitution. So does every police officer. They all must meet that oath. 

When the city of Houston and the Houston Police Department play a role in turning over people to ICE, elected officials and police must remember the oath to the Constitution they took, as due process is violated, U.S. citizens are abducted & protestors are gassed and attacked. 

Call, e-mail and speak to Houston City Council. You can speak at Council most Tuesdays at 2 PM and once a month in the early evening. Learn the details of the process and demand local accountability.  

Mayor Whitmire has made clear that nothing will cause him to address Trump and Abbott. The Pride Crosswalk in Montrose, Ice in Houston/Harris County & the threats to free Harris County elections in 2026 are all connected. We must lead the response ourselves.  

Our opponents seek to criminalize political opposition and restrict free speech. We are confronting authoritarians and white supremacists. It will not be inherently safe. The thing is of course, that a future under authoritarian, white supremacist government that can’t be removed, will also not be safe and it will be terrible. 

We have rights. We have First Amendment rights, and as we’ve been told over and over all our lives, we have Second Amendment rights. We have the right to show up, to speak up and to self-defense. 

We are the ones who will show up when habeas corpus is suspended, when Greg Abbott does not permit Harris County to have free and fair elections in 2026 and when low flying helicopters terrorize Houston communities as we’ve seen in Chicago. 

The Pride Crosswalk in Montrose, Ice in Houston/Harris County & the threats to free Harris County elections in 2026, are connected to rising hatred across the nation, ICE in Minnesota and threats to Greenland and any hope for multi-racial democracy in the Western Hemisphere and Europe.

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. No community is on the periphery. No person is on the periphery. None of us are alone. We are all in this fight.  

​There is a bridge banner protest in Conroe on Sunday, 1/18. It is organized by We Rise Up. You see the graphic above with the details. 

There have been a number of actions in Conroe and Montgomery County over the past year. The've been so prolific in standing up for freedom, that this past October the City of Conroe tried to limit protest rights in the city. They were not successful in the attempt.

There was an article on 1/13 in The Guardian about bridge banner drops. This work is being done by people just like 

From the article: 

Groups like the Visibility Brigade and 50501, one of the lead organizations of the No Kings protests, are encouraging action beyond the national level to include smaller, repeated actions denouncing Donald Trump’s policies. Since March 2025, more than 250 Visibility Brigades have formed all over the country, across urban, rural, blue and red cities.

Glazer said just because the civil actions are small, it doesn’t mean they’re not effective. “These local protests are easy to sustain on a weekly basis.” Glazer said. “There are thousands of cars driving by that see our messages on overpasses in hundreds of cities across the country.”

Here is the link to the Visibility Brigade. There is Houston chapter and many across the country. You can start one yourself if you don't see one where you live. 

Below you see word of a protest at Houston City Hall at 1:30 PM on Tuesday 1/20. I will be a speaker at the protest. January 20 is the first anniversary of Trump's second inauguration. 

The next action or protest is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, the only credential needed is your presence. 

​​This past Monday, 1/12, I spoke at the monthly Bellaire/Braeswood Democrats meeting. I appreciated being invited. They had about 40 folks. There I am in the picture. 

This is part of my work on the Houston Democracy Project. I've spoken at many Democratic clubs, Indivisible chapters and organizing meetings as well as at the Downtown No Kings protests. I'd be happy to speak at your meeting. E-mail me at [email protected] or send me a message here and we'll set it up.

Here is what I said at this meeting: 

* Voting is not going to be enough to get us out this crisis.

* Conventional politics and protest are both essential. The line between the two is blurring all the time. We saw this in the successful response to the martial law declaration in South Korea last year.

​* At bottom line, police are not there to protect protestors. This is important to know when we are on the streets after habeas corpus is suspended or the state interferes in Harris County '26 elections.

* The No Kings Protests are helping build new networks of both rapid response and political organizing. They help people realize they have allies even in Republican areas.

* Trump’s new national security strategy document is a white supremacist authoritarian plan. Consider reading it so you can speak to it. A third or whatever portion of the country is committed to destroying the lives of Black people and that seems implacable over the centuries. We just have to proceed.

* ICE is an extermination unit in the making.

* Democratic voters have a right to demand standards for our elected officials. It was true for Kim Ogg and Shaun Thierry, and it is true for John Whitmire. It’s not a so-called “purity test.” It is our right to have expectations of the people we help elect.

​* We give a lot of free labor to candidates. It's exploitive in many respects. Politics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many campaigns just extract resources like a strip mine.

* Republicans are attacking Democratic Harris County Criminal Court Judges not because they care about crime. It is the Civil Courts and control of big money verdicts that they want. 
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​* Primary candidates come and go like Christmas or Halloween pop up stores. Our need to live freely remains. You have to decide if fighting over them is worth it when they will be gone so quickly.

* Opposing authoritarians isn't going to be safe. We are going to have to accept some risk.

* We have a right to a collective identity as active rank and file democracy advocates and Democrats that is independent from candidates and elected officials. We must advocate for ourselves.

*The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, the only credential needed is your presence.