AUSTIN, Texas — Protesters gathered outside of the Austin Police Department's (APD) headquarters Sunday calling for APD to lose its funding.
Several people were arrested during the protest. The protest comes as Austin City Council is expected to have public hearings on their budget this week.
Protesters who support the Black Lives Matter movement said the city council isn't planning on taking enough money away from police and claim the arrests on Sunday were not just.
"They systematically arrested the leaders that were around us," a protester supporting Black Lives Matter said. "They arrested guys who were with us who had flags. They took away all our megaphones."
Another group of protesters showed up as well, who claim they want to "back the blue."
"The very first word in the constitution says you have the right to peacefully assemble," another protester said. "Once your start breaking laws, you're no longer peacefully rallying for anything."
According to the APD, at least 20 people were arrested during the late hours of Saturday night through Sunday night in what appeared to be protest-related incidents:
- Justin Michael Daisy; unlawful carrying of a weapon and obstructing a highway
- Antonio Jordan Reid; traffic offense
- Jason Ray Lewis; obstructing a highway
- Paul Lester Allen; obstructing a highway and riot participation
- Lauren Cole Aguirre; resisting arrest/search and interfering with public duties
- Sadat Seals; city ordinance violation
- Anastasia Holloway; resisting arrest/search
- Julian Salazar; city ordinance violation
- Miguel Ricardo Montes-Staines; city ordinance violation
- Madeleine Lee; interference with public duties
- Austin Gregory Graham; interference with public duties
- Monique Delacruz; assault be contact
- Keyanna Thomas-Newton; assault by contact
- Gabriel Brett Krug; interference with public duties
- Hannah Yando Spellman; interference with public duties
- Ellen L. Pandanell; interference with public duties
- David Walton Ragan; unlawful carrying of a weapon
- Noah Riley Lopez; city ordinance violation
- Mehdia Mrabet; city ordinance violation
- Dustin Lynn Hoss; city ordinance violation
Two additional arrests were made Sunday evening but police said the reports for these cases have not yet been written so it is unclear at this time if they are protest-related.
Anyone who wishes to sign up to speak on the city council budget on Wednesday or Friday must do so by 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10. For more information, click here.