AUSTIN (KXAN) Hundreds of protests will happen across the country Saturday, including in Austin, Bastrop, Pflugerville and Taylor.

The “No Kings” day of action happened the same day as, and in opposition to, a Washington, D.C. military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday. Planning for the parade began two years ago and was intended to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.

Earlier in the week, Trump ordered the California National Guard and Marines to assist the law enforcement response to protests in Los Angeles. Those began after Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to step up arrests in that city.

After an anti-ICE protest in Austin on Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers to be on standby around the state ahead of Saturday’s protests. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a Thursday press conference that they support the rights of protesters, but that action would be taken to remove instigators.

Activist coalition Hands Off Central Texas (HOCTX) organized the local protests. HOCTX President Sophia Mirto told KXAN Wednesday that the group routinely holds events at the Capitol and cooperates with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) when making protest plans.

“The group organizing Saturday’s protest has a well-established record of peaceful advocacy and responsible civic engagement, and the event was approved by the State Preservation Board (of which Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both are members) with the expectation of a safe, respectful gathering,” said State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, who sponsored the Saturday Capitol rally.

DPS said that it arrested one person Saturday afternoon following a “credible threat” to lawmakers.

Live updates

Information below comes from KXAN journalists on scene at the protests.

9:20 p.m.

APD Police Chief Lisa Davis is seen patting officers on the back.

9:15 p.m.

Following a big crowd arriving at 8th Street and San Jacinto, APD said on social media it was “aware of the large gathering continuing to move throughout the downtown area.”

“APD officers remain in the area available to assist with any public safety needs. We ask community members who are participating in the gathering to stay on the sidewalks and out of the traffic roadways. If you see anything suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately.”

8:50 p.m.

A big crowd was seen arriving at 8th Street and San Jacinto following the protest. According to KXAN’s Grace reader, APD is telling people if they don’t move out of the roadway, they will be arrested.

8:40 p.m.

APD has asked protesters who were standing in a construction area to move out of that zone.

8:20 p.m.

APD Police Chief Lisa Davis stood with a line of her officers blocking 8th St. near the Pickle building. A group of approximately 30 protesters stood on the sidewalk nearby.

8:10 p.m.

APD bike officers and mounted officers blocked a larger contingent of protesters from walking down 8th Street towards the building from Congress Ave. Officers carrying pepperball guns and equipped with riot gear were in the vicinity.

Less than a dozen protesters did gather outside of the federal building. As one person began to walk up its front steps, DPS troopers in riot gear exited the building. That group of protesters moved away.

Officers detained one person in the area. Other protesters chanted “let him go!” at officers.

7:45 p.m.

Some attendees remained on Capitol grounds, sitting on picnic blankets and enjoying themselves.

Law enforcement officers were seen staged near the J.J. Pickle Federal Building. They also blocked off streets around the building. No protesters were seen in the area.

A helicopter is also flying over the area.

7:30 p.m.

The rally ended ahead of the Capitol grounds’ 8 p.m. closing time.

Protesters began to leave the area, with some walking down Congress from the Capitol. DPS troopers detained at least one person outside the Capitol grounds, according to a KXAN reporter. KXAN reached out to DPS for more information.

APD officers and DPS troopers worked to maintain safe traffic patterns with the increase in pedestrians.

7:00 p.m.

A UT Austin student spoke, followed by a veteran involved with grassroots group Common Defense.

“Marines are being used as political tools while our leaders cut funding for Veterans’ Affairs,” the veteran said. A veteran and Native American spoke next.

APD posted guidance for helping attendees leave the event when the grounds close at 8 p.m.

6:55 p.m.

Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes spoke. Austin Council Members Jose “Chito” Vela & José Velásquez were with her as she gave her remarks. She noted that the three of them represent the Austin City Council’s Latino caucus.

“This response is the most patriotic thing we can do,” Fuentes said. “In America, we don’t believe in dictators, we don’t believe in authoritarianism.”

After Fuentes, Vela and Velásquez both spoke.

6:50 p.m.

APD officers closed 11th Street between San Jacinto Boulevard and Lavaca Street due to “high volume of pedestrian traffic.” It said that motorists should expect delays and plan around the rally.

A speaker called for a medic to attend to someone for an undisclosed medical issue.

6:40 p.m.

Melody Tremallo, transgender woman and HOCTX lead organizer, spoke. She referred to herself as “a canary in a coal mine” who is “actively dying.”

“When they came after immigrants and trans kids, there was hardly any push back,” she said. “Fascism withers when we stand up together. We should have stopped them when they were at their weakest, before they could eat the least among us.”

She asked if the crowd would stand up for transgender rights. The crowd cheered back “Yes!”

Tremallo estimated the crowd at 20,000 in her speech.

6:33 p.m.

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, CEO of immigration law firm Lincoln-Goldfinch Law, gave the crowd an update on deportations in Texas.

“State troopers are pulling over immigrants and colluding with ICE to disappear people from their families,” the attorney said. “They want to drive immigrants further underground.”

The children of one of her clients joined her at the podium.

“Their father was taken in a surprise attack,” she said. “They will spend tomorrow (Father’s Day) missing him.”

A chant of “F— ICE” rose from the crowd in response.

Nichole, one of the children, spoke next. She gave a message to the crowd and another message in Spanish, directed to her father.

6:27 p.m.

An organizer with the Tesla Takedowns spoke. That event is a weekly protest held outside of a Tesla showroom in Austin.

That organizer talked about Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi soft launch later in June. He also told the audience about what he saw at a demo of Tesla’s full self driving technology.

A League of Women Voters organizer also spoke and encouraged attendees to register to vote or to update their voter registrations.

DPS has blocked off 10th Street and Congress Avenue, as well access to Congress at 11th Street.

6:14 p.m.

A band named “The Raging Grannies” performed next, singing adapted lyrics set to folk songs such as “Union Maid.”

Attendees, now in the thousands, began to chant “Deport ICE” after one of songs. The crowd grew to the point that it stretched out of the Capitol grounds and down 11th Street and Congress Avenue.

The protesters kept to sidewalks, with law enforcement blocking streets as needed.

A pocket of three pro-Trump demonstrators was seen outside of Capitol grounds. Some protest attendees argued with those demonstrators. One pro-Trump attendee also went to a No Kings protest in Pflugerville earlier in the day.

6:02 p.m.

After Bucy concluded, Brigitte Bandit did a performance set to Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” Her performance was scheduled for earlier in the rally, but was delayed due to technical issues.

Around the same time, APD posted on social media that it had “no significant updates to report” about the gathering. It also said it appreciated “the community’s cooperation in maintaining a peaceful atmosphere.”

5:53 p.m.

State Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, spoke at the event.

“They asked if I was going to go after the threats. I said f— yeah I’m going to go!” he said.

5:42 p.m.

Pooja Sethi, chief of staff for Texas Rep. Vicki Goodwin spoke after Doggett. She is also the party chair of the Travis County Democratic Party.

Drag queen and activist Brigitte Bandit spoke after Sethi.

5:30 p.m.

Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, spoke at the rally.

“Welcome, patriots! Welcome patriots who will never bow down to a king!,” he started. “250 years ago, we fought against a kings. Today, we stand up against a king from Mar a Lago!”

Doggett said that Trump’s deployment of National Guard and Marines was an abuse of power. He also called the President’s family “thieves,” and said that the American people were not safe under his leadership.

5:22 p.m.

Austin Council Member Zo Quadri spoke next. He referenced the Declaration of Independence’s grievances and related them to Trump’s actions.

“They want you to bow to their politics of fear,” he said. “But we’re not bowing to him. In this country, there are no kings.”

5:15 p.m.

The first speaker was Alexandra Haddix, an organizer with activist group 50501. On Monday, APD officers arrested Haddix for allegedly failing to obey a legal order. That charge against her was downgraded to a class C misdemeanor, comparable to a traffic ticket.

Haddix called for Trump’s arrest during her remarks.

A marching band led the audience in a dance break following Haddix’s speech.

5:00 p.m.

Hundreds of people could be seen at the Texas Capitol for the No Kings protest in Austin. It started at its scheduled time. Mirto moderated the event; a machine blew bubbles behind the podium.

APD dialogue officers, in blue and white vests, could be seen at the Capitol.

4:15 p.m.

Texas DPS reopened the Texas Capitol Grounds around 4 p.m. Attendees for the scheduled protest, who had started to gather outside the grounds, flowed into the area.

According to Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhart, D-Austin, one person was arrested following reports of a credible threat against lawmakers. Eckhardt’s office said she was in contact with DPS Regional Director Gabe Ortiz, who told them that “an attempted copycat agitator” was arrested.

DPS has not yet confirmed the arrest to media.

2:50 p.m.

The Texas Department of Public Safety evacuated the Texas Capitol grounds Saturday afternoon after identifying a credible threat towards state lawmakers scheduled to attend a Saturday’s protest.

The agency stated that it continues to work with law enforcement partners to address the threat ahead of the protest, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Lawmakers and staffers also received a message Saturday afternoon from Chairman Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, about the threat, which referred to two Minnesota lawmakers being attacked by a suspect dressed as a police officer.

1:15 p.m.

KXAN reporter Mercedez Hernandez said approximately 200 people gathered in Pflugerville to protest.

The protest in Taylor ended with an estimated 400 people.

11 a.m.

Austin Police Department: “We encourage our community to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest. If anyone should see or hear of any suspicious activity, we encourage them to report it by calling 9-1-1.”

10:40 a.m.

KXAN reporter Jala Washington estimated the No Kings Protest in Bastrop had at least 500 people demonstrating against the Trump Administration. A group of Trump supporters was also present and counter-protesting.

10 a.m.

KXAN reporter Mercedez Hernandez estimated at least 100 people were in Taylor for the protest.

Texas DPS, Taylor Police and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office deputies routinely circled the block, but there has been no obvious law enforcement presence or counter-protesters.

Protests began in Bastrop and Taylor, Texas.

KXAN found at least 63 Texas locations listed online where anti-Trump demonstrations are advertised to take place this weekend, fueled by recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting undocumented immigrants.

In Central Texas, that includes Austin, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Lockhart, Pflugerville and Taylor.