M a r c h 3 1 - A p r il 7 , 2 0 2 6
Est. 1981
Vol. 72, Issue 9
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
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Demonstrators overflow streets at ‘no kings’ march
Carlos Craig/The Paisano
Over 1,000 people filled downtown San Antonio’s streets, chanting and marching during the nation’s third “No Kings” protest.
By Maria Wence
O
Assistant Multimedia Editor verflowing the streets with posters, flags and puppets of President Donald Trump, demonstrators united in downtown San Antonio at Travis Park for the third “No Kings” march. Organized by 50501 SATX, the protest brought thousands of demonstrators and community organizations to rally against Trump’s administration. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, 5051 SATX and the San Antonio Democratic Socialists of America provided designated tents inside the park, as the crowd joined the demonstration on March 28. The opportunity to talk to local organizations allowed attendees to become informed on community outreach and to continue advocating for justice. Family, friends and partners alike consolidated to successfully bring over a thousand people in one of 3,000 demonstrations that took place that day nationwide. 50501 SATX mutual aid lead Jolras Ruiz expressed concerns about the White House’s economic policies, anti-immigrant actions and the Iran War. “The actions that we’ve seen have been at the cost of the average American. We’re seeing price increases that are bankrupting people,” Ruiz explained. “We’re seeing people starving in the streets, and we’re sending $6 billion
to a war that shouldn’t have started to begin with.” Various speakers from the different organizations present expressed their concerns with Trump and shared their messages with the crowd. Among them was PSL organizer Destiny Pena. “I don’t know what Trump’s trying to do here besides, you know, stroke his own ego or whatever, but it’s clear to us that his priorities are not with the people that he supposedly is supposed to serve,” Pena stated. “Trump has launched eight wars since he’s gotten into office, even though he ran on being a supposed peace president. I think people are really starting to feel the effects of the war.” Veteran Craig Hinman, who served the U.S. Marine Corps for 48 years and was on active duty during the long-standing war in Afghanistan in 2020, also spoke during the protest.
“I’m very much opposed to what this administration is doing to our country.”
“I’m very much opposed to what this administration is doing to our country. Very much opposed to what we’re doing to immigrants and this unjust war,” Hinman said. “It’s terrible, and we really need to get out of it. I feel disgusted.” At 5 p.m., the protesters pooled into the streets and started their march on East Martin Street, heading towards North Saint Mary’s Street. Various signs read, “No Kings, No Dictators, No Fascists, No Kleptocrats. Only we the people”; “Of the people, by the people, for the people”; and “Hey Trump! You can’t bomb your way out of the Epstein files.” Protestors continued their march through central San Antonio, eventually returning to the starting location at Travis Park. On their route, they chanted, “Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like,” and “Say it loud. Say it clear. Immigrants are welcomed here.” Roughly 8 million people nation-wide took part in the “No Kings” protest. It has become one of the largest in recent history, with 5 million participating in the first ‘No Kings’ back in June to then 7 million last October.
Texas bans smokeable hemp, levies $5,000 fee
By Amanda Fuentes Assistant News Editor
Texas residents will no longer be able to purchase smokable hemp products, such as pre-rolled joints and smokable flower buds, beginning March 31. Texans can still buy hemp edibles and beverages because the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has not yet released regulations on these products. The Texas Department of State Health Services has passed new regulations for consumable hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol products. These regulations will increase licensing fees from $155 to $5,000 for businesses selling hemp products and increase costs for hemp-product manufacturers from $258 to $10,000 per
facility. The regulations will also require child-resistant packaging, new labeling, testing and new bookkeeping requirements. While marijuana is illegal in Texas, hemp has been legal since 2019 and is defined by Texas law as Cannabis sativa L. with a delta-9 THC concentration of less than 0.3%. UT San Antonio professor and Criminology and Criminal Justice Department Executive Director Roger Enriquez commented on the matter, explaining that hemp created a loophole in Texas marijuana laws. “You have loopholes that permit cannabis dispensaries and different [hemp] products,” Enriquez explained. “In my opinion, they probably just need to legalize it like many other states, or do something along those lines
Aiden Moreno/The Paisano
Smoke & Eve tobacco shop, located one mile away from Main Campus at 15503 Babcock Rd, Suite 4.
rather than try to ‘thread the needle’ and create exceptions that then swallow up other exceptions.” The Texas Legislature voted to ban hemp products, stating that their reason was to ensure that these products did not get into the hands of minors. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the ban and instead proposed a restriction on smokeable hemp products. Enriquez explained that this restriction could be a result of more than just wanting to protect minors. “I would suspect that there is a population that is just not comfortable with the idea that cannabis should be legal, period, or accessible, period,” Enriquez said. “I’m sure they’re concerned that it could filter into the hands of young folks, but I haven’t seen anything [or] a study that demonstrates that that’s any more likely than alcohol or any other products that we only allow adults to purchase.” Family owned vape shop manager Anwar Tahir is fearful for the future of the business. “It’s really going to affect our small business because we will not be able to sell, and we are not going to make that much money either because the license costs $5000. It was $59 before,” Tahir shared. “There’s going to be a lot of shops that are going to be closed down, it’s also going to affect our unemployment too because a lot of people are going to lose their jobs.” Tahir mentioned that many minors who obtain hemp products do so from a family member rather than an established smoke shop. “The only way is to educate more people because they get it from their home, from their cousins, from their grandmas, from their parents, not from us. We don’t because a lot of authorities come and check on us,” Tahir stated. According to The Texas Tribune, it will not be a crime to possess smokable THC products after March 31. Houston attorney Andrea Steel told the news outlet that while individuals should not get in trouble for possessing these products, she expects that law-enforcement agencies will incorrectly arrest people who are caught smoking the soon-to-be banned products.