Austin has always been the hub for political demonstrations. Being the Capital of Texas, Austin is the focal point for groups that want to get in front of lawmakers. Not all of these gatherings are peaceful however and there have been many that have resulted in violence. Whenever I hear about a demonstration that has the potential to bring out a lot of people and that might be very contentious, I grab my camera and head down to the state capitol to collect the passion that is sure to come out.
I find the emotional energy fascinating to watch and record. Generally, people that come to these types of events are less guarded and highly charged. Most have a definite opinion on who is right and who is wrong. Rarely do they fall in the middle.
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The city itself always assumes the worst and overprepares but I guess the alternative would be to jeopardize the safety of the community.
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Considering the type of action groups that come to the State Capital, I am always amazed that they are as peaceful as they are even though violence pops up throughout.
There have also been rallies that have been very peaceful and people came to make a point and to bring awareness for a specific cause.
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Because of its diversity, acceptance, and tolerance, Austin is a wonderful place to live. There is so much life and passion that is expressed in so many ways. In Texas, there is nowhere else I would call home.
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Those heavily armed americans look very peaceful... not ... 😉
Very strange to see such weapons on civilians for my german eyes. 😎
I'm very glad that germans are not allowed to own/carry weapons. I can't imagine what would happen on events like the G20 summit with lots of armed protesters.
Violence comes in many forms and it doesn't have to involve guns. Peace too comes in many forms. Just because Germans are not allowed to have weapons does not mean violence does not exist. Even in the cases above when violence did pop up, it was not because of a gun nor was a gun used. I am not saying gun violence does not exist in the US, obviously, that would be incorrect. But violence is a state of mind whether you have a gun or not.
thank you for your point of view and your upvote.
Yeah, that's right. I don't ment that there is no violence in Germany. There is actually a lot and that was my concern. How would this end up if the riots had guns
Yeah, no worries. I will say it is very strange to see fights break out at some of the rallies and seeing weapons strapped to someone's back who is in the fight.
I am quite surprised as well to see demonstrators with weapons (I am italian). Are they volunteers to keep order among the protesters themselves? Anyway, very good photos, with a different and unusual point of view, thank you!
No, those were not volunteers to keep the peace. That was actually a 2nd Amendment rally in which participants brought out their guns, as is their right in the US, to show solidarity and that they stand behind the 2nd Amendment.
Thanks so much for your upvote.
@Originalworks