Protesters gather ahead of Gov. Greg Abbott's speech to decry his scapegoating of immigrants

As Gov. Greg Abbott prepared to give his State of the State address Thursday at a magnet factory off Interstate 35 on the way out of San Marcos, a group of Texas State students and activists held a potluck in a public park downtown. This was the State of the People, an anti-Abbott protest organized by Mano Amiga, the group behind justice advocacy projects that have grabbed statewide attention, including San Marcos’ successful weed decriminalization measure last fall. Leaders from local and national organizations including the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Texas Civil Rights Project, Latino Justice, Hays County Jail Advocates and San Marcos Abortion Advocates, among others, spoke about the myriad ways Abbott doesn't represent their values.