Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to deploy the National Guard across the state in response to protests, including peaceful demonstrations in cities like San Antonio and potentially Dallas. This response is not about protecting safety. It is about intimidation.

People in Texas have the right to protest peacefully. Across the state, communities are coming together to demand change, to grieve, and to speak out against injustice. Deploying military forces into these moments only adds tension and fear. It sends the message that civic participation will be met with suppression.

Peaceful protesters are not a threat. They are our neighbors, students, teachers, and families. Dallas does not need troops in the streets to maintain peace. It needs leadership that respects civil liberties and listens to its people.

Tell Governor Abbott: Stand down. Do not bring the National Guard into Dallas. Let us protest without fear.

[Photo Credit AP Photo/Eric Thayer]