Issue With HPD Is How Responding To Threats To Democracy & ICE-Have Whatever View Of Them You Want

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I sometimes write about HPD, protest and the current political moment. (HPD reads my social media.) 

(Photo of over-policed Houston Labor Day pro-democracy rally and march by Nora Dayton. Nora is doing great work chronicling protest and freedom in Houston and other places as well.) 

The issue is not should we thank police for keeping protesters safe (A frequent source of discussion in some circles.) or instead just say ACAB and be done with it. The issue for my work is what will HPD do if/when habeas corpus is suspended, will they help ICE kidnap people with no due process guaranteed & how will they respond when local protests grow larger? The largest Trump 2nd Term protest in Houston so far has been 26,000 at the June 14 No Kings demonstration.  (The next big No Kings event in Houston is Saturday, October 18. Let’s make it the biggest one yet.) 

We know HPD is cooperating with ICE.

Is HPD out to stop protest? No. They basically do not get in the way of First Amendment things & I wager they don’t mind the overtime that larger protest sometimes affords. 

Do they offer help and protection? Sometimes. Some officers are courteous and others let disdain for protesters show. I’ve had experience with this at the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest  We’ve had many interactions with police after 8 1/2 years. Some good and some bad. (There is more to this subject than I’m writing here, but there is no single answer to the question of does HPD offer assistance and protection to protestors.) 

Does asking HPD for permits limit the scope of peaceful actions and increase costs? Yes. The First Amendment is your permit.

In my view, HPD in relation to protest is at bottom line there to protect property & to maintain order even if order is being defined by people taking our freedom. I also believe that HPD officers are individuals with varying views on current politics. 

There is no point in antagonizing police just for the sake of antagonizing them. 

It is no safer though to trust them to maintain your rights as the political climate worsens. 

Ideally, there would be meaningful civilian control of police. But Mayor Whitmire is too close to HPD & Republican Houston City Council Public Safety Chair Amy Peck is clearly comfortable with the direction of the nation under Trump. In the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, Mayor Turner and Council Democrats, with the exception of Letitia Plummer, showed little interest in taking a hard look at HPD practices. 

If you want to thank the police for being at a protest—Have at it. If you want a one size fits all view about police—Have at that as well. I’m not here to judge people who at least make the effort to show up. 

My own views are: 

• Demand civilian responsibility for police actions.
• Treat everyone-including police officers-as individuals.
• As you fight for democracy, make connections with people outside of traditional organizing and political channels, because there is little money, career advancement or conventionally-awarded status in advocating for democracy. We are going to need each other. 
• Do not rely on police to protect your most basic rights and freedoms. 
• Act with the courage you can muster in the challenging days ahead.
• Have access to an attorney. 

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​​

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