Austin Lawyers Guild says people have a constitutional right to protest and arrest does not establish a crime
Austin Lawyers GuildAttorney and spokesperson George Lobb for the Austin Lawyers Guild, in a statement ahead of a jail press conference
George Lobb of the Austin Lawyers Guild said people have a constitutional right to gather, protest and criticize the government, that an arrest does not establish a crime, and that pretrial conditions must comply with the Constitution. At the press conference he called other arrests made this week "bogus DPS warrants" and said one of Ramos's release conditions is that he not join more protests.
“People have a constitutional right to gather, speak, protest, and criticize the government. ... bogus DPS warrants”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Texas DPS charge Austin protesters with riot over the Garces Perez shooting demonstration?
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested Misael Ramos, a candidate for Austin City Council District 1, on a Class B misdemeanor charge of riot participation. The charge stems from a September 20 protest in North Austin after an ICE officer shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. DPS said Ramos had an outstanding warrant and "was captured on camera taking construction barricades, sandbags, and other items and attempting to obstruct traffic." Ramos and his campaign say troopers arrested him while he walked his dog and did not show him a warrant. His attorney, Edmund "Skip" Davis, said he had seen no "riotous kind of behavior," and Austin Lawyers Guild spokesperson George Lobb called other arrests made this week "bogus DPS warrants." Ramos was released on a $1,000 personal bond. The Austin Lawyers Guild said at least three other people were arrested on rioting and resisting-arrest charges over the same protest. The dispute is whether DPS should charge people who took part in the September 20 protest with riot.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Common Dreams reports a statement from Austin Lawyers Guild attorney and spokesperson George Lobb issued ahead of the Sept. 26 press conference, and Ramos's statement from jail. The article's byline was not captured in our copy.
Reporting
About this source
The Chronicle's report from the jail press conference on Sept. 26. Attorney Skip Davis gave the Chronicle copies of the probable-cause affidavit for Ramos's arrest, which it quotes. It also quotes Austin Lawyers Guild spokesperson George Lobb and attorney Paul Quinzi, who read language from a second affidavit. The Chronicle says it asked Texas DPS to verify the number of riot arrests and had not received a response as of publication. The Chronicle's byline block lists two reporters; we credit the photographer and first-listed writer.
Before the quotation
The statement preceded the Saturday afternoon press conference outside the Travis County Jail, which the Guild joined with Ramos's campaign, the Texas State Employees Union and Austin DSA.
After the quotation
The Austin Chronicle asked DPS to verify the number of riot arrests made this week and had no response when it published.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to DPS charging protest participants with riot, the Guild asserts a constitutional right to protest and calls other DPS warrants bogus. That opposes the arrests, so we labeled it Condemned.
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More from this case
Read the full caseDPS says Ramos was captured on camera taking barricades and sandbags at the Sept. 20 protest
Texas Department of Public Safety
“Ramos had an outstanding warrant stemming from his actions during the Sept. 20, 2026, protests in Austin, where he was captured on camera taking construction barricades, sandbags, and other items and attempting to obstruct traffic.”Read statement
Ramos says his arrest shows the impunity officers feel toward neighbors living in fear
“That these officers felt emboldened to do this to me, as a candidate on the ballot, speaks volumes to the level of impunity they feel to do this to our neighbors, who are living in fear of these kinds of abductions every day.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Austin Lawyers Guild says people have a constitutional right to protest and arrest does not establish a crime". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/2930-george-lobb-of-the-austin-lawyers-guild-said