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On Saturday as downtown was overflowing with “No Kings” protesters, a family—Mom and Dad with a bunch of kids—walked over to Alamo Plaza.
“Sorry. The Alamo is closed,” a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper told the family.
There were six troopers stationed near the now discombobulated Cenotaph. They were wearing combat gear and turning away tourists.
“It’s because of the protest,” the trooper said.
The mom, who said her name was Emily but declined to give her last name, pleaded with the trooper, “Is it okay to let the kids see it and then walk right back?”
“No, we can’t let anybody in,” he said.
“We flew all the way from California to see the Alamo and we can’t because of this protest. It's kind of annoying,” Emily told me.
“There’s nine of us here that can’t see the Alamo because we won’t be here tomorrow. We’re only here today,” she said. I could see she was frustrated.
The family walked off.
The Alamo is an important symbol of Texas independence and a revered historic site where the pivotal 1836 battle against Mexico was fought during the Texas Revolution. Located in downtown San Antonio, it attracts millions of visitors each year who come to learn about its legacy and honor those who died defending it.
But beyond its role as a major tourist attraction, the Alamo also serves as a public gathering place and a protected site for free speech. Going back to the days of the Republic, residents regularly use the surrounding plaza to express views, protest, and engage in civic discourse, upholding its status as a living symbol of democratic ideals.
During the height of the anti-Vietnam War movement, San Antonio activists used the Alamo Plaza as a staging ground for protests. Also, in the 1960s and ‘70s, the Alamo was used as a rallying point by civil rights advocates. Groups such as the Brown Berets protested educational inequality, police brutality and political disenfranchisement.
I was there reporting at the Alamo on April 15, 2009, as Ted Nugent played the National Anthem on his electric guitar when the Tea Party movement protested government spending.
Alamo Plaza has been the property of the City of San Antonio, but in 2015, COSA signed a joint management agreement with the State of Texas to oversee Alamo Plaza. The Alamo Trust contracts with The Texas General Land Office to manage the daily operations of Alamo Plaza.
During public presentations of how the Alamo and the Plaza would be “reenvisioned” to create a more engaging visitor experience, how free speech would be protected was a constant question.
There were assurances made that free speech would not be driven out of Alamo Plaza.
But those assurances did not meet with reality at the corner of Losoya and Crockett Streets during last week's protests on Wednesday and Saturday nights, where DPS Troopers and armed militia members of This Is Texas Freedom Force were blocking protesters from entering the plaza.
DPS Troopers blocked all entrances to the plaza, which also prevented tourists from gaining access to businesses on the plaza and to the front of the Menger Hotel.
I asked the Alamo Trust about this, and they provided a statement:
As part of the Alamo Plan, a designated free speech zone was formally established within the newly opened Plaza de Valero to allow individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights while preserving the integrity of the historic site. This model is similar to the approach used at Independence Hall, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The free speech area, previously located adjacent to the Alamo Cenotaph, has been relocated to Plaza de Valero to continue accommodating demonstrations while ensuring a positive experience for the more than 1.6 million annual visitors to the Alamo grounds.
On Wednesday evening, out of an abundance of caution and in light of heightened public safety concerns, Alamo Plaza was temporarily closed to all visitors, including tourists and demonstrators. This decision was made to ensure the safety of guests, staff, and the historic structures under active preservation.
We remain committed to supporting the right to peaceful expression and to maintaining a safe and respectful experience for all who visit the Alamo.
Information on the Alamo's Free Speech Zone can be found here: https://www.thealamo.org/visit/visiting-tips/site-rules
The protesters were loud but peaceful at City Hall last Wednesday—and again on Saturday at Travis Park for the “No Kings” protest. If the thinking is there is nothing to lose by preventing a lawful anti-government demonstration from taking place at Alamo Plaza, it's a striking contrast from what the Alamo has come to represent throughout its thorny history.
The reason the Alamo is worth seeing with your children after traveling from California is because of that complicated history, and—perhaps more importantly—because of its promise of freedom during troubling times.
