The Hill Country Chapter of Texas Democratic Women invited protest organizer Robert Rios to headline its Dec. 2 meeting in Kerrville, where he discussed strategies for organizing protests and engaging younger generations in political activism.
Rios shared insights drawn from his experience organizing demonstrations, including the “Anti-Fascist” protest held in Bandera last month that drew about 80 participants. He emphasized the importance of holding events in rural, traditionally conservative areas.
“Bandera County has a median age of 53, which is significantly older than the Texas average,” Rios said. “The 10- to 19-year-old distribution is only 10%, so you can imagine pulling young people from those demographic numbers is a tall order.”
BULLETIN PHOTOS/ Veronica Rector Robert Rios speaks during the Hill Country Chapter of Texas Democratic Women’s December meeting in Kerrville. Rios discussed protest organizing and strategies for engaging younger generations in political activism.
Rios said engaging younger residents requires consistent outreach, including attending school board meetings, speaking with college students and explaining how decisions made by the current Trump administration could affect them in the future. He stressed the importance of visibility in political organizing.
“Protesting is not unlike theater,” Rios said. “You are there to be seen and get your point of view across, heard and communicated. Like theater and being on a stage, you are playing to an audience.”
Rios said the decision to hold a protest in Bandera stemmed from a desire to move beyond repeated tactics and create a larger public demonstration.
“In a place where silence is often mistaken for agreement or resignation, exercising our constitutional rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech on the courthouse steps, alongside 80 other county residents and a handful of invited guests, shatters the illusion that everyone thinks the same way,” Rios said.
He added that protests alone are not enough to create lasting change.
“Real change also requires follow-through with organizing, voter education, showing up at school board and commissioners court meetings, supporting candidates who reflect our values, and staying engaged long after the signs are put away,” Rios said. “Protests spark awareness, but sustained nonviolent action is what turns that spark into progress.”
Rios also referenced the local chapter’s involvement with Indivisible Bandera, which he described as part of ongoing grassroots efforts in the county.
Rios said he and his husband will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary this month, noting that the Trump administration’s views on LGBTQ issues have been a source of concern.
“We got married in Canada so our marriage would be legally recognized,” Rios said. “After the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, we can only hope that it doesn’t get reversed.”
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