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Local Democrats say protests are planned against President Trump's rally at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on Wednesday evening, while local Republicans expect to fill the East Side venue.
The president's primary purpose for the rally is to get out the vote for U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton and Republican down ballot candidates. But local Democrats are puzzled by the president's political strategy—visiting deep blue Bexar County, where Republicans rarely win any race on Election Day and swing voters are hard to come by.
Bexar County Democratic Party Chairperson Michelle Lowe Solis said the president's low approval rating and the higher cost of living, including gas and grocery prices, set the scene for large protests at the coliseum during the president's visit.
She also said that Democrats plan peaceful protests and will have security within their ranks.
The U.S. war with Iran is not going over well in Military City U.S.A., she said, where active-duty members and veterans add up to nearly a quarter of a million residents, according to county figures.
"People are mad. People are not happy with where we are," she said.
"I think you've seen the polls, just like I've seen the polls. I think he's got a 26% approval rating and 17% approval rating on the economy," she said. "People are hurting."
Bexar County Republican Party Chairperson Kris Coons said local Republicans are "over the moon" about the president's visit to the Alamo City. She said the party's office has been fielding a lot of phone calls from across the region about tickets to the event. Coons predicted the GOP will fill the venue that holds nearly 12,000, but space could be reduced by security arrangements.
She said protests by Democrats come as no surprise and countered their claims that he cannot get Democratic voters to cross over. She also pointed out that while Trump did not win the presidential vote in Bexar County, he did garner 43% of the vote.
"He actually did bring voters from the other side to him, which we are very happy about," Coons said. "As far as the protestors and all of that, they're protesting everything right now. They're protesting everything that the majority of San Antonians and Americans want."
Coons said those wants include the presence of ICE in San Antonio, but a large protest was held at the site of a planned detention center on the East Side this past weekend.
She said she hopes the president will address affordability issues raised by local Democrats during his remarks here. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones requested a meeting with President Trump during his San Antonio visit to address what she calls "the affordability crisis."
“San Antonio is the third most impoverished big city in the country, so it’s not surprising that federal policies causing high gas prices and high grocery bills would disproportionately impact our community — all while aggressive ICE enforcement activities instill fear in our communities, drive up labor costs, and threaten property tax values on the Eastside if the ICE processing facility is built," the mayor said in a statement to Texas Public Radio. "As Military City USA, we are also closely tracking the Iran war and its strain on operational readiness and military families, as it also drives gas prices in our community to nearly $3.70.”
The San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sherriff's Department will both provide "significant" security and traffic operations during the president's visit. The coliseum is county property and the sheriff's department urged protestors to be "respectful."
Advisory from Bexar County Sheriff's Department
An advisory from the Bexar County Sheriff's Department asks the public "to exercise their First Amendment rights respectfully and in compliance with Texas law."
Participants "may be present in any public area, not on the roadway," according to the statement. The agency said if there is a breach of peace, law enforcement will take "appropriate action to maintain public safety."
The sheriff's department also included advisory details on the following items:
Traffic Flow
Commuters are strongly advised to avoid the area around Freeman Coliseum due to heavy congestion associated with large events. Delays should be expected.
Ride‑Share and Parking
Ride‑share services will be directed to the east side of the Frost Bank Center parking lots, between Lots 3 and 4, unless otherwise instructed. For guidance related to neighborhood access or parking concerns, please contact the San Antonio Police Department.
Local Patrol Impact
District patrol operations will not be impacted and will continue to operate as usual.
Capacity and Overflow
Once the building reaches capacity, additional attendees will be asked to leave the premises. Law enforcement will not be monitoring where individuals go after they are escorted off the property.
