Take action to fund our domestic violence shelter and survivor services!

HOCTX is NOT doing an event for June 14’s national NO KINGS “Rise Up Sing Out” watch party. Please consider attending a watch party hosted by another local group!

New Braunfels Watch Party

Help us celebrate our first year of activism with an anniversary party!

Join us for Book Club on May 31! Our special guest this month is professor Bryan Register, then we open it up for a group discussion on the themes of “Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future” by Jason F. Stanley…

May 26 is the runoff election for the TX party primaries which happened in Feb & March.

Early voting is May 18 - 22. The winner of these runoff elections will be on the November ballot.

We recommend the local LWV Guide for a nonpartisan look at your candidate choices…

Democratic voters will be choosing between:

Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Velez for Lieutenant Governor(statewide)

Milah Flores and Casey Shepard for U.S. House District 17

Montserrat Garibay and Kathie Tovo for Texas House District 49 (Central ATX)

as well as local seats…

Susanna Ledesma-Woody and George Morales III for Travis Commissioner Pct. 4

Cynthia Millonzi and Nicholas Costilla for Hays County Clerk (Bastrop +)

Ruben Becerra and Michelle Gutierrez Cohen for Hays County Judge (Bastrop +

Chris Johnson and Thomas Just for Hays County Court-at-Law 2 (Bastrop +

Republican voters will be choosing between:

Ken Paxton and John Cornyn for TX Senate (statewide)

Chip Roy and Mayes Middleton for TX Attorney General (statewide)

Jim Wright and Bo French for TX Railroad Commissioner (statewide)

Ge'Nell Gary and Lauren Peña for U.S. House District 37

as well as local seats…

Josh Vandever and Josh Homan for Fayette County Judge

Lacey Hannes and Roberta Brinkman for Lee JP Pct. 4

David McDonald and Jeff Mayes for Williamson Commissioner Pct. 2

During the month of May, @activists_of_austin will be hosting a series of special events at Gallery Dojo while it’s exhibiting our Activist Portrait Show!

You’re invited to an evening of joyful resistance co-organized by the Austin Raging Grannies and Sing for Connection…

“Surrounded by the “Activists of Austin” portrait show, we will gather to sing together and lift our weary hearts. The exhibit features 28 artists matched with committed activists who uphold democracy, immigrant rights, trans lives, mutual aid, and children’s futures. Come enjoy the art, meet the community, and share your voice!”

Join SEAT, Austin SDS, HOCTX and many others for a funeral procession the morning of Wednesday, May 20. Expect a creative protest mourning the death of freedom in Higher Education. UT alumni especially invited!

“ Once sustained by open inquiry and courage, the university faded gradually amid policies and leadership decisions made by regents and administrators.

These decisions constrained free expression, silenced voices, and harmed vulnerable, innocent students.

The UT System is mourned by those who believe a university should be a place where all ideas, and all people, are encouraged to thrive.”

May 26 is the runoff election for the TX party primaries which happened in Feb & March.

Early voting is May 18 - 22. The winner of these runoff elections will be on the November ballot.

We recommend the local LWV Guide for a nonpartisan look at your candidate choices…

✍️ Bring your sketchbook to Gallery Dojo at Canopy for an afternoon of sketching activists!

All Roads Lead to the South.

This national day of action — taking place on Saturday, May 16, 2026 — is intended to bring communities together through peaceful, nonpartisan civic engagement activities focused on democracy, voting rights, community empowerment, and public education.

WED May 6 Update: City council has responded to our public pressure with a new version of their economic incentives resolution - now WITHOUT target industries. This is a step in the right direction, but still still dont have guarantees that we won’t be giving incentives to defense tech, data centers, and more

Read the new version of item 24: Tinyurl.com/Item24change

P.S. Don’t miss the next 🧊 OUT OF ATX protest at 12:30 May 7 also at city hall… action starts at 11:30 with a “pack the gallery” aka go in and watch the council session so they know we’re WATCHING 👀

All hands on deck for public outcry against proposed economic incentives for Data Centers, ai companies, defense tech, and autonomous vehicles!

This week's Austin City Council Agenda includes “Item 24” a resolution directing the City Manager to create a new package of economic incentives for businesses, including some "target industries." (Link to full language of resolution.Link to all Item 24 docs)

The Problem: Without specific bans, we are deeply concerned that this will result in economic incentives for data centers, defense tech, and much more

Our Ask: We are calling on Council to ban specific industries and companies from getting economic incentives in the future, including…

• Data Centers

• Companies linked to Defense Tech (AKA military industrial)

• Autonomous Vehicle Companies

• Ai and ai surveillance companies

• Companies that have paid zero in federal income tax (in any or all years within the last 7-10 years)

Our Goal: (biggest win) Get the resolution vote this thursday may 7 delayed (acceptable) Get a specific list of banned companies included in the economic incentives package when passed this thursday

Call to Action:

CALL & EMAIL before Thursday @ 9 am:Phone numbers & emails of council

Testify in-person or online on Thursday:

• Online registration for in-person and virtual testimony closes Wednesday, May 6 @ 12 p.m. Register here.

• You can also register in person at the Austin City Hall kiosk by 9:15 a.m. on May 7.

DEETS: In-person speakers can donate time to each other. No speaker can take donated time from more than 2 individuals. Translation services are available for both in-person and virtual speakers. Handouts or other documents that speakers wish to provide to Council must be emailed to city.clerk@austintexas.gov by 5 p.m. the night before the meeting. This informationwill be provided to the Mayor and Council in advance of the meeting. (don’t forget to get your parking validated by the front desk if you testify in-person or attend the council meeting!)

Vote Schedule:

> This Thursday, May 7, Austin City Council is voting on the resolution (aka the directive) that puts the city manager’s office on the job of compiling the old and new incentives.

> If the resolution passes this Thursday, in 180 days the City Manager will present the compiled incentives as an ordinance and there will be another council vote to make it law

Data Centers

• Over the last 100 years, Texas has consistently faced droughts. As Austin and surrounding municipalities continue to welcome new residents, increasing the pressure on our water supply, the aquifers and lakes that provide our drinking water are facing increased pollution and industrial use. If we want Austin to exist in 50 years, we need to protect our water supply now.We do not have the water to spare for data centers.Note: Pflugerville, just north of Austin, is at risk of running out of water. Same with Corpus CristiReading: Austin Monthly article, SOS, Austin Water

• Additionally, data centers are increasingly linked to health issues for communities near the facilities. “Diesel backup generators and HVAC systems emit nitrogen oxides, PM2.5, and greenhouse gases, increasing risks of asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, with projected annual fatalities potentially reaching 1,300 by 2030. Data centers generate noise levels that may exceed 90 decibels. Noise levels above 85 decibels are harmful to hearing.” - Environmental Health Project

Autonomous Vehicle Companies

• WAYMO blocking EMS on the evening of the 6th street mass shooting is still top of mind for Austinites, especially after the company refused to send representatives to meet with the City recently, communicating that they feel they are above city regulation. City representatives have assured us that they cannot regulate WAYMO in the current political environment. Why would we incentivize such an industry? 

• WAYMO and self-driving taxis have yet to solve the issues of harassment and violence against riders, clearly illustrated in a 2024 report from SF when a woman was trapped inside a vehicle by men who blocked the path of the vehicle, demanding her phone number. (HOCTX President Sophia Mirto personally asked the WAYMO S/W region sales rep if they had solved this problem in 2024, and she was told they had not, and no further solution has been made public.)

Companies linked to Defense Tech (AKA military industrial)

• In the “Dept of War” era, defense tech is not hurting for federal funding and incentives. Violence does not reflect the values of the City or residents of Austin. The long history of the defense industry exploiting communities and misrepresenting their behavior to the public - we don't want to invite more profit-from-murder companies into our city, which already has too many defense tech startups.

Companies that have paid zero in federal income tax (in any or all years within the last 7-10 years)

• This is to prevent additional economic incentives for companies (like Amazon) that historically sidestep taxes and therefore their economic responsibility to our nation. This corporate behavior is indicative of companies who ground their business model in exploitation - these companies will not operate responsibly in our community or in good faith with our City.

Join us on May 2, 2026 for the first day of the art show highlighting 25+ incredible local activists, organizers, and nonprofit founders.

1 - 4 PM Join us for Canopy’s first Saturday open studio

6 - 9 PM Join us for opening night featuring a DJ, snacks, and convos with artists and activists

In April we’re reading “One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad.

This month, the first half hour of book club will be a conversation between HOCTX organizer Salvador Espinoza and activist Greg Stoker of Gaza flotilla fame. Then we open the floor to group discussion!

Join us the last Sunday of March for HOCTX Book Club “Read For Democracy”

…featuring a short discussion with a local organizer highlighting the intersectionality topic of the book!

Austin NO KINGS 3 🚫👑 Join us Saturday, 3/28 from 1 - 4 PM at Auditorium Shores

We’re bringing you a larger than life first-amendment rally featuring music, activities, art, org tabling, and very cool people. View the NK3 digital rally map here

Want to march? Meet + March at Austin City Hall at 12pm. We will march to Auditorium Shores at 12:30pm sharp! If you can’t march, meet us at Auditorium Shores at 1:00pm!

Expect 80+ civil rights and mutual aid organizations with activities, swag, info, and ways to get involved in resistance outside of attending rallies.

We’ll have art to enjoy and co-create (remember our giant sign-able U.S. constitution?!)

+ We’re including a few ethical businesses this time

Speakers & performers: Brigitte Bandit, Jo Ellis, Dan Weber, Justice, Jeff Dazey, Dumancas-Brouse JazzCallForFreedom, Los Kurados, Stefanie Fix, Singing Resistance Austin, Sophia Mirto, Yasmine Smith, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Melody Tremallo, Valerie De Bill, Julie Ann Nitsch

We couldn’t do it without you! NO KINGS AUSTIN is 100% volunteer. We crowdfund for everything you see on the ground: water, porta potties, stage and sound infrastructure, fliers and freebies.

Sign up to volunteer here.

Donate to help us cover event costs here.

If you or your ethical business wants to sponsor a giant water tank at our event (highly visible spot to put your logo!) please fill this out.

Cool local businesses are participating in the NO KINGS nationwide day of action by donating 1% of proceed to HOCTX on Saturday, March 28. If your business is able to donate 1% to us (we will use it to pay for event costs) please email treasurer@handsoffcentraltx.org. We will hella shout you out digitally and day-of!

Indivisible’s NO KINGS is a national day of nonviolent protest in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption. AUSTIN NO KINGS is made possible by a broad coalition of individuals and orgs working together.

Read up: Understanding Law Enforcement PDF, Arrest vs. Detention: How to Tell Whether You've Been Arrested or Detained, ACLU Know Your Protesting Rights, Use of Force

We are a 100% nonviolent movement aiming to create an environment to empower the passionate resistance of Texans protesting to protect our community from state violence. We do not conflate the 1st amendment right of free speech with violence, and we do not endorse interpersonal or state violence. We demand that DPS, APD, and state and local governments protect the civil rights of every American.

We committed to peaceful, lawful action at every No Kings event. Participants are expected to de-escalate conflict and YOU and YOUR FRIENDS and FAMILY are invited - weapons are not (even if legally permitted).

We have a team of volunteer protest monitors, legal observers, and street medics coming to this event. If you would like to volunteer for any of these teams, please sign up here!

WHAT TO BRING: ID - HAT - SUNGLASSES - WATER BOTTLE - SNACK - WALKING SHOES - CASH - FLAGS - PROTEST SIGNS - EXTRA PHONE BATTERY - FRIENDS AND FAMILY - ELECTROLYTES

SAFETY: With recent escalations of state violence against people utilizing their first amendment rights, including here in Austin, we are taking security concerns very seriously. This is a pre-planned event permitted through the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Dept. We will have a volunteer team of protest monitors in highly visible clothing available for concerns, de-escalation, and support for our community.

Please consider the heat! Bring a hat, sunscreen, umbrella, fan. etc. Emergency water will be available on-site but please bring your own.

Bathrooms are available at City Hall WITHOUT going through security (outside of the building). Bathrooms will also be available at Auditorium Shores at the end of the march because we are crowdfunding porta potties again!

ADA if you want to march:

12 pm Meet @ City Hall: ADA bathrooms are available inside City Hall. ADA parking is available here also. 12:30 pm March to Auditorium Shores: We are marching down the S. First Street Bridge. Sidewalks create elevation changes and ramps are not very easily accessible getting off of City Hall property down to the road.

ADA after the march:

1-4pm rally @ Auditorium Shores: We have reserved ADA parking spots in the parking lot off Riverside Dr next to the rally (676W W Riverside Dr 78701). Volunteers can help you find the ADA spots near the main stage at the Shores, and the ADA porta potties. You are welcome everywhere! Please ask a table or volunteer if you have questions.

IMMIGRATION & LAW ENFORCEMENT: Everyone is welcome at all of our events, but we want folks to be aware of heightened immigration risk in Texas. The meetup at City Hall and rally at Auditorium Shores will be on City of Austin property, under APD jurisdiction. It is not APD policy to coordinate with ICE, but they also do not interfere in ICE arrests. **Please be careful when driving to and from the event, since DPS DOES work will ICE and has been increasingly pulling Austinites over on behalf of ICE.

TRANSPORTATION & PARKING:We are expecting a large turnout. Please carpool! We recommend parking in the paid parking lots below the Central Public Library and City Hall or using street parking. There is parking south of the Long Center, as well as North of Town Lake.

Media disclaimer: There will be media and photos/videos of this event taken and shared on the internet by participants and journalists. Feel free to wear a mask for wellness or privacy reasons, and feel free to take your own photos and videos! Tag us: @handsoffcentraltx #nokings

Languages Other Than English: ASL and Spanish interpretation will be available for the speakers at the main stage and soap boxes. Language access for other things is labeled on the digital map (coming soon!)

Nonviolent Protest Disclaimer: HOCTX and official coalition partners are committed to nonviolent civic resistance. We are utilizing our First Amendment constitutional right to protest and our right to lobby our representative government. We do everything in our power to protect the civil rights and physical safety of everyone at our events.

HOCTX has yet to have any notable incidents of safety issues at any of our events. Let’s keep it that way! This is not an appropriate event to consider engaging in civic disobedience or property damage. There will be heavy APD presence.

By attending our events, you are implicitly agreeing that while you attend our event, you will respect the laws and constitution of the United States and State of Texas and not create or contribute to a safety issue for our attendees and neighbors. We protect our community and defend democracy - we do not put people at risk or threaten violence.

Join us for RAISE THE VOLUME! a live music concert and community gathering at Far Out Lounge (cashless venue) on March 22 starting at 1pm. We have an incredible lineup of musicians and drag performers - doors at noon! 18+

Expect: Music, drag, art, cool people and panels dicussing how orgs and individuals can help our community in this time of crisis…

Proceeds from this event will help us cover the costs of hosting AUSTIN NO KING 3…

Join HOCTX for our monthly pro-democracy book club!

Update: Our Special Guest will be Chas Moore of Austin Justice Coalition. He will be leading the discussion for the first half hour!

Join HOCTX reps at the City of Austin’s public “community conversation” with APD Police Chief Lisa Davis, Mayor Pro Tem Chito Vela, Councilmembers Vanessa Fuentes and Jose Velasquez on Tuesday, Feb 5 (new date) from 6 - 7:30 PM either in-person at Govalle Elementary Cafeteria or virtually.

RSVP for the virtual link (or to submit a question) at bit.ly/community-convo1

The format will be snacks, then a presentation, then a Q& A.

CALL TO ACTION: Stop ai mass surveillance at Austin parks and pools…

Austin City council is considering spending $400K per year from the Parks and Rec Dept budget on “mobile video surveillance units” from out-of-state ai surveillance company LiveView Technologies. These unites have ai capabilities and can even talk to people to tell them to “stop loitering.” (Aren’t parks… for loitering?)

They are planning to park these ai-enabled unites (which feed their video into a cloud database) in the parking lots of our Austin parks and pool for “deterrence” against car break-ins and “criminal activity.”

…mass surveillance is a dangerous door to open, and CCTV cameras would be a cheaper and safer way to deter crime.

HOW TO HELP: The contract is up for a vote on the 2/5 City Council Meeting Agenda. Please consider testifying on Thursday Feb 5 - our last chance to stop the contract! Sign up here to speak on Thursday, Feb 5.

Speaker registration for the February 5, 2026 Austin City Council Meeting will open Monday, February 2 at 10:00AM

We’re concerned about:

1) the impact of this video surveillance data getting into the hands of ICE, DHS, DPS, etc and about the data being hacked.

2) Spending taxpayer money on a out of state vendor when CCTV is a safer, cheaper “deterrence” alternative

3) The impact to families, young people, and POC who will be surveilled when trying to use public facilities

4) Mass surveillance, such as ai assisted cameras in public spaces, is violation of the 4th amendment to the US Constitution

Learn more about the issue here.

CALL TO ACTION: Stop ai mass surveillance at Austin parks and pools…

Austin City council is considering spending $400K per year from the Parks and Rec Dept budget on “mobile video surveillance units” from out-of-state ai surveillance company LiveView Technologies. These unites have ai capabilities and can even talk to people to tell them to “stop loitering.” (Aren’t parks… for loitering?)

They are planning to park these ai-enabled unites (which feed their video into a cloud database) in the parking lots of our Austin parks and pool for “deterrence” against car break-ins and “criminal activity.”

…mass surveillance is a dangerous door to open, and CCTV cameras would be a cheaper and safer way to deter crime.

HOW TO HELP: The contract is up for a vote on the 2/5 City Council Meeting Agenda. Before the vote, the contract AKA “Item 3” will be discussed at the 2/3 work session meeting!

If you can testify at the Tuesday 2/3 work session against Item 3, please sign up here.

Signups for in-person or virtual testimony opens at 5 PM on Jan 30. If you miss the online sign-up window, you can sign up as late as 9:40 AM at the physical kiosk at City Hall outside of the Council Chamber (in-person testimony only).

If you can’t make it on Tuesday at all, please consider testifying on Thursday Feb 5 - our last chance to stop the contract!

We’re concerned about:

1) the impact of this video surveillance data getting into the hands of ICE, DHS, DPS, etc and about the data being hacked.

2) Spending taxpayer money on a out of state vendor when CCTV is a safer, cheaper “deterrence” alternative

3) The impact to families, young people, and POC who will be surveilled when trying to use public facilities

4) Mass surveillance, such as ai assisted cameras in public spaces, is violation of the 4th amendment to the US Constitution

Learn more about the issue here.

🕯️ AUSTIN COMMUNITY VIGIL 🕯️ 🗓️ NEW DATE: Sunday, February 1st, 5-7 PM 📍 Wildflower Church, 1314 E Oltorf St
(Not organized by HOCTX)

Join HOCTX for our monthly pro-democracy book club!