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(HodgePodge Media)
Hodgepodge Media produces the kid's podcast Quaranteen'd.
Welcome to austonia.com, a new local news site for Austin. We're an authentically local company—Austin stories, Austin people, Austin advertisers. News, trends, media, topics, people. No paywalls. We cover the changes that are reshaping our city. To get connected, sign up for our free daily AM newsletter update.
With an endless number of podcasts out there, how does anyone decide what to listen to? Start with the homegrown. We've put together this list of 12 local—or nearly local—podcasts you won't want to miss.
1. Unlocking Us
Native Texan and visiting McComb's professor Brené Brown, known to some as America's therapist, talks weekly with celebrities, authors and thinkers on topics ranging from books and movies to current events and big themes of the moment.
2. Everyday Superhumans
This podcast covers Austin's local do-gooders and non-profits. Faith in humanity restored!
3. Nightlight
Nightlight is a horror podcast that features fiction stories about murders, monsters and more.
4. Austin Anthem Podcast
Hosted by a group of supporters, Austin Anthem Podcast is the longest-running podcast about Austin FC, Austin's new and only Major League Soccer team.
5. In Black America
John Hanson Jr. hosts and produces In Black America, where he interviews civil rights leaders, educators, athletes and more on the black experience in America.
6. Media Monday Show!
Media ATX founders Tom Cheredar and Josh Rubin talk about local Austin media industry news in the Media Monday Show!
7. The Forward
Lance Armstrong hosts The Forward, where he interviews a range of personalities on sports, politics, entertainment and more.
8. Quaranteen'd
With a cast of kids and seasoned actors, Quaranteen'd is a virtual, all-ages audio treasure hunt.
9. The Beerists
The Beerists is produced by a group of beer-lovers in Austin who meet up weekly to judge five different beers from around the world.
10. The Night Owl Podcast
The Night Owl Podcast features true stories of hauntings, mysteries and paranormal activities.
11. Gender Fluids
Hosted by comedians Austin Smartt and Arielle Norman, Gender Fluids dives into the depths of gender and sexuality.
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(Capital Metro)
Rendering, Project Connect station
The Austin City Council on Friday unanimously approved a measure to add to the November ballot the massive $7.1B "Project Connect," a 20-year overhaul of Austin's transit system that would include a new light rail and "rapid bus" lines.
The council plans to add it to the ballot in a formal order next week, members said. Then it's up to voters to decide whether to approve it.
<p>Because of technical difficulties, Friday's virtual meeting, in which the council also created a governing body for implementing the plan should it pass, was not streamed online. But council members shared their news on Twitter in the wake of their vote.</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c822f3ff32285fa04c656dc173e18661" id="6b910"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291865801176354817"><div style="margin:1em 0">Project Connect is about building back better after COVID, its about transportation that works for everybody, its a… https://t.co/ap6C8V0jNj</div> — Ann Kitchen (@Ann Kitchen)<a href="https://twitter.com/D5Kitchen/statuses/1291865801176354817">1596839783.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Council members chose a scaled-down version of the plan due to economic uncertainty brought about <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation/project-connect-austin-coronavirus" target="_self">by the pandemic</a>. An earlier version, approved by council in June, would have cost $10 billion.<br/></p><p>Capital Metro <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation/project-connect-austin" target="_self">proposed $3 billion in cuts last month</a>, including the elimination of a light-rail line running from Austin Community College Highland to downtown and the shortening of another, which would span North Lamar and South Congress.</p><p>If approved by voters, the $7 billion plan will increase the city property tax rate by 8.5 cents. For the median homeowner, this means their annual property tax bill will be about $276 higher.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c6efe35152108c346f393acf8db696e" id="65ae7"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291865503032659968"><div style="margin:1em 0">883 days ago I started at @capmetroatx with the board’s direction to develop a data driven community supported tran… https://t.co/Lp54EWrH1U</div> — Randy Clarke 😷 (@Randy Clarke 😷)<a href="https://twitter.com/CapMetroCEO/statuses/1291865503032659968">1596839712.0</a></blockquote></div><p>In addition to taxpayer dollars, CapMetro will still need to seek an additional $3.15 billion in funding - 45% of the total budget - from the federal government.<br/></p><p>Along with deciding which version they will add to November's ballot next week, council members and the CapMetro board also voted to create a governing body called the Austin Transportation Partnership that will oversee the implementation of the plan. </p><p>The ATP board will include representatives from City Council and the Capital Metro board as well as three community experts.</p><p><em>This story has been updated; Project Connect will be funded through a tax rate election, not a bond. </em><br/></p>
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(Austonia/Instagram)
Life was so sweet for live music junkies living in the Live Music Capital of the World—up until the venues closed, the stages went dark, and the world of Austin music closed down.
Miss your places? Miss your people? Miss blowing all your money on music?
<p>Don't fret, fans!</p><p>You may not be sitting on the patio at Sahara or chilling in the Continental Gallery on a Wednesday evening, but in the months that Austin has been on lockdown, local musicians, venues and studios have figured out how to bring a world of live music to you online.</p><p>So check out our sampling of the myriad ways you can get your live music fix from your own home, any day of the week. This is not comprehensive—start with these and go down the rabbit hole on your own! </p><p>From studios to artists to venues to radio stations, we have a solid list that will get you started on your journey back into the live music world that is the very heart of our city.</p><p>Also, these are regular shows, not one-offs, and they are all free or very cheap—but if you have the means, you'll find a link to let you tip the musicians or bartenders.</p><p>It's going to be a long road back, but as Patrice Pike would say, keep the faith and, as we all would say, long live the music.</p>
<div></div><div></div><div><br/></div>
Jagtronica Wednedsays, Purple Bee TV
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a2cab8a9562f05e4d4667d82dfca7bd"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KbeRftaXIZg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Interstellar grooves and psychedelic explorations improvised by a full band - live in the <a href="http://purplebeetv.org" target="_blank">Purple Bee</a> studios. Wednesdays 8 p.m.</p>Patrice Pike Band Keep the Faith Livestream
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a94897344c627ae7362202afe441fa05"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/PatricePikeBand/videos/324002002065701" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Iconic hard rock favorite unplugs in her home space. Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. </p>Afro Jazz Saturdays at the Sahara Lounge
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d5519cfcd8eee1dc9add8a63b3c1b66f"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/SaharaLoungeATX/videos/217338429591881" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Join this East Austin gem of a bar for regular virtual live shows from the stage, including a regular online residency by African jazz musicians Ibrahim Aminou and Aboubacar Sylla. Saturdays 8 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/SaharaLoungeATX</p>KUTX Livestreams
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="950f84e2286e0dc0304d59aa99edfbc1"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QNVfbrr_v0M?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>This local Austin-centric arm of KUT hosts various performance livestreams nearly every day of the week. Find their schedule here. </p>Live in the Virtual Gallery with Bonnie Whitmore
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGY29udGVudCUyRjU2ZTVkNGU4MWQwN2MwNzQzZDI4MWQ2MyUyRjE1OTYxNDgzMjQ1MjctTlQ2VlFQM1ZNM0daR0VMNTQ1OEElMkZCVyUyQmF1Z3VzdC5wbmclM0Zmb3JtYXQlM0QxNTAwdyUyNmNvbnRlbnQtdHlwZSUzRGltYWdlJTJGcG5nJmhvPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGaW1hZ2VzLnNxdWFyZXNwYWNlLWNkbi5jb20mcz00OCZoPWQ0YmY4MjkzMTA2OTRkNjdjNzQ1ZmNhODhjNGQ3ZDI4YWY3YTE2ZDgyZjM3OTI4MjVkOGJmY2U3MTk0NjU2YWYmc2l6ZT05ODB4JmM9MTI2MDUxNzQxNiIsImV4cGlyZXNfYXQiOjE2NDg3MTY2NzJ9.J2ntaGHE00UZvxWETyI9XZ3xC3iC1nAAo8bk38ILkyA/img.jpg" id="72e14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dc34d23c5508b20dfea2642717052bfd" />August 2020 — Bonnie Whitmore <p>Raucous and talented local singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore brings back the Continental Gallery with musical guests every weekend. Fridays 8:30 p.m. </p>BettySoo's Nobody's Happy (Online and Isolated) Hour
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.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.gaEmnDK5F-J8rgXWUIAnXGHJOveE-ub3wm8UUPTLrhA/img.jpg" id="82829" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d4fa34ac0fa355da87c02e8572d3fe46" />BettySoo's Nobody's Happy Hour - Summer 2020 <p>Take the heartfelt lyrics of Townes and mix it with the comedic timing of Janeane Garofalo and the voice of an angel, you might come close to defining this engaging and popular performer. Tuesdays 1 p.m. </p>DJ Mel's Living Room Dance Party
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="45581c8bb0ae6cf0ddbe03e775d6825f"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3446714958713944" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>A streaming staple practically since the day the venues shut down, DJ Mel Cavaricci (aka DJ Mel) spins from his living room. Saturdays 6-10p.m.</p>Dreadneck Wednesdays from the Flamingo Cantina
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGdiUyRnQxLjAtMCUyRnA1MjZ4Mjk2JTJGMTE2MzUwMjk0XzE2MjMxNTQ1Nzc4NDU2NzJfMzgwNzY1MTUzMzUxNDQ1NzA1M19vLmpwZyUzRl9uY19jYXQlM0QxMDklMjZfbmNfc2lkJTNEYjM4NmM0JTI2X25jX29oYyUzREVzQkFIbzBHejdRQVg4WFI1REclMjZfbmNfaHQlM0RzY29udGVudC1pYWQzLTEueHglMjZfbmNfdHAlM0Q2JTI2b2glM0RhNWUxMWUwZDFkMGZiZDllMmE4ZDA2OTNhMmVmYzA4YSUyNm9lJTNENUY1MTdERDgmaG89aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZzY29udGVudC1pYWQzLTEueHguZmJjZG4ubmV0JnM9NTg1Jmg9ZWIxZmFiNGU0OTMxOTU1YmNhYjBlOGNhN2ZiOWFkOGM0NjQ3N2YwODkxODhjZGQ3NzAzYzNjMTI1OGY5MWY4ZiZzaXplPTk4MHgmYz0xNzM4NTUwNzg4IiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTQwMTg0Nn0.Txy1LrSKsTPNG0dDU0xjlU2KkBu5cmcE8txaOdO8I_M/img.jpg" id="7c376" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ebccf8a39ef46845384013bb233d0747" />Dreadneck Wednesdays Live Stream w/ Mau Mau Chaplains <p>The Mau Mau Chaplains bring the irie back at this iconic 6th Street venue each week. Wednesdays 8:30 p.m. </p>James McMurtry's Wednesday residency
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="46c8760066753cce717a6a3335d5f43d"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/8637988681/videos/608632053134073" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>A fixture on the alt-country music scene in Austin and beyond, McMurtry brings his weekly residency at Continental Club home to you (from his place) with opening acts. Wednesdays 8 p.m. </p>Not at Donn's Depot
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8a0b32db58eccac4a2695a8eb2f4747"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/chrisgageaustin/videos/10159892023859008" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>The slightly obvious but oh-so-telling title for pianist Chris Gage's Monday livestream, where he tickles the ivories from his home studio, joined occasionally by wife Christine Albert, and recreates his popular and long-running Monday residency at Donn's. Mondays 8 p.m. </p>Jackie Venson
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d41a9251d5c15ad731ae31c77455a79a"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/43xotR5fRNM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Austin born-and-bred singer songwriter, brings her guitar and her truth-telling music to her live-streaming page. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. <a href="https://jackievenson.com/livestream/" target="_blank">https://jackievenson.com/livestream/</a></p>
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The Austin Justice Coalition created a jingle—"No Confidence in You"—in service of its campaign to get Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley to resign.
The Austin Justice Coalition is clearly frustrated with city leadership, which has not responded to its request to cut $100 million in funding from the Austin Police Department and remove Chief Brian Manley (or make him resign).
<p>Just a couple of months ago, both of these efforts had some traction after a public outcry against <a href="https://austonia.com/austins-protests-black-lives-matter" target="_blank">police use of force</a> during anti-police-brutality protests. They picked up more momentum when the <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/public-safety/2020/06/30/pressure-builds-as-austin-city-council-members-question-city-managers-ability-to-bring-transformational-police-reform/" target="_blank">Austin City Council</a> unanimously approved a vote of no confidence in Manley and the leadership in June. </p><p>Then a week later the conversation was effectively shut down when City Manager Spencer Cronk told the city's public safety committee Manley is committed to change. Meanwhile, it looks likely that significant police budget cuts <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20200806/austin-city-council-willing-to-spread-police-cuts-over-full-year" target="_blank">will trickle out slowly,</a> and may or may not reach the level of AJC's requests.</p><p>So how do you light a fire under a stagnated issue? Write a jingle!</p><p>Today, AJC posted "No Confidence in You," a short, animated video and catchy little jingle posted on its social media channels.</p><p>The first two verses are:<br/></p><p><em>He looks the part, at least that's true/</em><em>With silver hair and eyes of blue</em></p><p><em>Saved Austin from the bomber/</em><em>Or that's what the TV said</em></p><p><em>But now he's the chief/</em><em>And hey that part's a pity</em></p><p><em>It didn't take long 'til most of the city/</em><em>Could tell Brian Manley was in over his head</em></p><p>At the end of the jingle, AJC directs viewers to <a href="https://austinjustice.org/fire-chief-manley/" target="_blank">sign a petition</a> calling for Manley to resign. </p><p>"It is with enormous frustration that the undersigned groups renew our demand - after weeks of protest and major changes unanimously passed by City Council - for new leadership at the top of Austin's public safety department, and in particular our demand that you sideline Chief Brian Manley."</p><p>As of Friday afternoon, more than 5,000 people had signed it. </p>
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The Austin Independent School Board delayed the school year to Sept. 8 in an early-Friday vote, giving teachers three more weeks to prepare for online learning and the community more time to see a drop in COVID-19 cases before students, faculty and staff return to the classroom.
<p>The first four weeks of classes will be virtual-only for most of the district's 80,100 students, with exceptions made for students who don't have access to the required technology, but the board also voted to ask the Texas Education Agency to allow up to four more - potentially delaying full access to the district's 130 campuses until early November.</p><p>If granted, the board stipulated, the waiver "would serve as a period where students who selected on-campus instruction may return to on-campus learning in phased-in smaller groups." Families were asked to choose between in-person or online, with the option for virtual-only students to switch to on-campus classes after the first grading period.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/austinisd/videos/3284478401646954" target="_blank">Thursday night virtual meeting</a> lasted more than six hours and drew hundreds of community members, teachers and staff who called in to comment, with the vote happening past 3 a.m. on Friday. </p><p>On its agenda documents for the meeting, the district cited "local health conditions," the need for teacher training and the fact that COVID-19 disproportionately affects the Hispanic community, represented by a third of teachers and more than half of the district's students.</p><p>The district said staff and faculty will see no reduction in pay and in most cases, no change in pay schedule. The last day of the school year was pushed to June 3, 2021.</p><p>On Monday, Education Austin, the union representing 3,000 AISD employees, <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-public-schools" target="_self">asked the district to consider pushing back the official first day of school,</a> which Gov. Greg Abbott said was within the rights of local districts, not health officials.</p><p>AISD posted <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/tx/austinisd/Board.nsf/files/BS63YY0936A1/%24file/Attachment%203%20SY-2020-21-Attendance-and-Enrollment.pdf" target="_blank">this document</a> with frequently asked questions, updated July 30, about attendance, enrollment, class size and more during the upcoming school year.</p>
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'We have only begun to fight': Save Austin Now seeks legal help in battle over no-camping petition
06 August
(Kevin Ludlow)
The petition, if validated and approved by voters this November, would have reinstated a city ban on public camping.
The group behind a petition to put a citywide public-camping ban on the November ballot in Austin said Thursday that they were "engaging a highly respected local Democratic litigator" in their efforts to fight a city ruling earlier in the week that their petition did not enough valid signatures.
<p>Matt Mackowiak, a cofounder of <a href="http://saveaustinnow.org/" target="_blank">Save Austin Now</a>, <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-camps" target="_self">the group behind the petition</a>, stopped short of saying the group was planning to file a legal contest—but he did put out a call for donations in a post on Facebook. </p><p>Mackowiak, who is also chairman of the Travis County Republican Party, said <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaveAustinNow/posts/164372638497514" target="_blank">in a Facebook post</a> that the group has called "a highly respected local Democratic litigator to review the facts, help us determine what additional information is needed, and consider our legal options." </p><p>"Put simply: This is expensive and we need your support right now," he wrote. "We have only begun to fight."</p><p><span></span>Austin City Clerk Jannette Goodall's <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-texas-homeless-petition" target="_self">ruling yesterday</a> was the first time since 2002 that the city invalidated a petition because of lack of signatures, she told Austonia on Thursday.<br/></p><p>The struggle has intensified <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-problem-camp" target="_blank">as residents report growing camps near neighborhoods</a> while a consultant hired by the city is advising that moving the encampments won't solve the city's homelessness issue.</p><p>Goodall used a random sampling method that the city adopted in 2002 in her review, according to a city spokesperson. State law allows cities to use any reasonable sampling method in determining whether citizen-led petitions contain the required number of signatures.</p><p>While Mackowiak was not specific about plans to file, local attorney and activist Fred Lewis—who has spearheaded other citizen-initiated petitions, including one last year that opposed an expansion of the Austin Convention Center— said he would expect the group to file very soon, likely with the state district court.</p><p>This is because the last day for the city to order a referendum in the November election is Aug. 17, according to the state election schedule. </p><p>"You're talking two or three weeks this has got to be decided - at most," Lewis said. "The court may not be able to decide it in that time." </p><p>Save Austin Now filed the petition on July 20, with 24,598 signatures—well over the 20,000 required to put their initiative on the ballot. If validated, it would have allowed voters to decide whether to roll back a year-old city ordinance allowing camping, panhandling, sitting and lying in public spaces. </p><p>But in her review, Goodall discovered several issues: some signers asked to be removed; there were duplicate names; and a second version of the petition was detected, which invalidated others. </p><p>Ultimately, the clerk estimated that there are 19,122 valid signatures on the petition.</p><p>"The probability that checking all 24,201 submitted signatures would find a total of at least 20,000 valid signatures is less than 3 in one billion," Goodall wrote in her ruling. </p><p>Some welcomed the news.</p><p>Chris Harris, director of criminal justice programs at <a href="https://www.texasappleseed.org/" target="_blank">Texas Appleseed</a> and who was involved in a local effort to decriminalize homelessness, called the clerk's ruling "phenomenal" in a tweet on Wednesday. </p><p>"Republican efforts to re-criminalize homelessness & use homelessness as a wedge to turn out conservative voters in November has failed," he wrote.</p><p>Save Austin Now co-founder Cleo Petricek is a self-proclaimed local Democrat. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c4f919f489f18a61a73cb2732faf74c5" id="dec2d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291114147581747201"><div style="margin:1em 0">PHENOMENAL news #ATX!!!
Republican efforts to re-criminalize homelessness & use homelessness as a wedge to turn ou… https://t.co/Nouy3uT91r</div> — Chris Harris (@Chris Harris)<a href="https://twitter.com/chrisharris101/statuses/1291114147581747201">1596660575.0</a></blockquote></div>
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(screenshots)
David Frost, 22, filmed Austin protester Justin Howell (left) being carried to medics after being shot in the head by an Austin police officer. Other officers then shot at the protesters as they approached, causing them to duck (right).
David Frost, 22, had never attended a protest before the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in May. Then the cell phone-wielding Austinite became a key player in a series of events that touched off major change in the Austin Police Department.
<p>When Austin police officers began using tear gas on screaming protestors to clear I-35 on May 30, Frost pulled out his phone and hit the record button.</p><p>"I wasn't originally going out there planning on filming," he said.</p><p>One video showed a group of protesters carrying Justin Howell's limp body to medics after an Austin police officer <a href="https://austonia.com/city/austin-protesters-injured-police" target="_self">shot the 20-year-old Texas State student in the head</a> with a "less lethal" round. </p><p>His 45-second clip on social media now has more than 10 million views. Outrage over the video, and similar ones on social media, led to a ban on less lethal rounds and tear gas at Austin protests. </p><p>"The importance of documenting this stuff is, like, nobody knew Justin's name for 48 hours," Frost said. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="807a3ffdd002f7ef45b346698745ff34" id="3c5c4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1267315908760010754"><div style="margin:1em 0">@arianalipkin https://t.co/ZGHtMpPj8B</div> — David Frost (@David Frost)<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidFr31601156/statuses/1267315908760010754">1590986632.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Amateur video footage has been critical to the Black Lives Matter movement since it gained national prominence in 2014 following the Ferguson unrest—and most recently in the death of George Floyd, which prompted protests around the world.<br/></p><p>Austin police have even recognized the amateur videographers as valuable, frequently calling on citizens to send in their footage to help—including in the cases of Howell and Brad Levi Ayala, 16, who suffered brain damage after being hit with a bean bag round that same weekend.</p><p>"I have been filming," Frost said. "And I have noticed a lot more people filming as well." </p><p>Local activists are using video footage not only to capture and post isolated incidents but also to record protests, rally support and investigate misconduct. </p><p>"I'm seeing new tactics as well as new platforms being deployed," said Professor Dhiraj Murthy, who researches social media activism at the University of Austin at Texas. </p><p>It fits into a broader trend of the public watching the police, he said, a practice known as "sousveillance." </p><p>"It's the idea that you can monitor how the police are treating people," he said. </p><p><strong>Crowdsourcing footage </strong></p><p>When Brendan Walsh, another newcomer to protests, saw video clips of the Austin protests in late May, he described it as "warfare on Austin citizens." </p><p>Walsh scoured the internet for clips showing Ayala being hit. His goal: To identify the officer who fired the weapon.</p><p>Reddit has a strict anti-doxxing policy, due to its users wrongly accusing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/magazine/should-reddit-be-blamed-for-the-spreading-of-a-smear.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&" target="_blank">an innocent 22-year-old of being one of the Boston bombers</a>. So Walsh created the Instagram account @justice4ayala, where he posted updates on his investigation.</p><p> Last week, <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/brad-levi-ayala-shooter-identified-austin-police/" target="_blank">APD confirmed to Texas Monthly</a> what Walsh had already discovered: The officer's name was Nicholas Gebhart.</p><p>"There's a reason people are interested in my work," Walsh said. "They feel that this officer might not be held accountable."</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="436a5994c80f80e0d098092684e3ae15" id="57f28"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p><strong>Backlash</strong><br/></p><p>Murthy says the actions of these amateur investigators tend to incite those who believe they're vigilantes.</p><p>"There have been plenty of incidents where the people filming footage have had abuse online leveled at them and that has resulted in real threats against them," he said. </p><p>Walsh said some protesters have sent footage to him instead of APD because they fear officers will ask why they were searching through their social media accounts.</p><p>Hiram Gilberto Garcia, an independent journalist who interviewed Austin protester Garrett Foster on camera the night he was shot and killed by an Uber driver, has documented being arrested by APD and discouraged comments that "initiate disagreement or discord."</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="211" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FImHiram%2Fposts%2F160257025717637&width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe></div><p>In spite of of that, however, Walsh hopes more people follow his lead, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/22/javier-ambler-michael-ramos-margaret-moore/" target="_blank">especially as official inquiries drag on</a>.<br/></p><p>"This only took me 25 to 30 hours by myself to get a significant amount of progress," he said. "And now it has pushed from something that was just kind of an online project to what I feel is real change."</p>
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