More than 900 protest Trump at pre-Super Bowl action

Over 900 people took to the streets during pre-Super Bowl actions in Houston to protest the reactionary agenda of Donald Trump. Demonstrators came from many struggles, particularly the immigrant rights and anti-racist movements.

They began at city hall with some speeches, and then marched to a major site where pre-Super Bowl activities were being held. Because many from Atlanta had come out for the game, they chanted “Move Trump, get out the way, get out the way Trump get out the way,” an allusion to a well-known song by the Atlanta rapper Ludacris. Many of the people attending Super Bowl events loved the chant and started chanting along.

After rallying in front of the George R Brown Convention center, the police attempted to stifle further action by caging the protesters. They would not allow the protesters to march further, which resulted in a large confrontation. They chanted, “Whose streets, our streets” and demanded that police chief Acavedo let them march. After about 30 minutes, the protesters marched past the police and headed to the NRG Stadium where the Super Bowl was taking place.

During the march, the police became aggressive, snatched one of the protesters leading the action, and arrested him. This is only a few days after the police arrested a prominent member of the Peoples New Black Panther Party who was filming a police officer harassing a group of homeless people during a homeless solidarity rally. The police attempted to arrest more protesters at another large rally at the Super Bowl itself.

The action was organized by FIEL, an immigrant’s rights organization, and attended by members of Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Resist Houston, and Socialist Alternative.