Austin Lawyers Guild says people have a constitutional right to protest and arrest does not establish a crime
Attorney and spokesperson George Lobb for the Austin Lawyers Guild, in a statement ahead of a jail press conference
“People have a constitutional right to gather, speak, protest, and criticize the government. ... bogus DPS warrants”
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
Case context: Should Texas DPS charge Austin protesters with riot over the Garces Perez shooting demonstration?
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.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Texas Department of Public Safety
Should Texas DPS charge Austin protesters with riot over the Garces Perez shooting demonstration?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full caseTexas 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
“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