Thousands of Austinites marched from Huston-Tillotson College to the Bob Bullock Museum on Monday to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Despite what the Statesman and some other news outlets would have you believe, peace activists protesting the possible war in Iraq composed a substantial part of the marchers (the daily mentioned this only in the last two paragraphs of its coverage, and some TV reports not at all). As this sign reminds participants, MLK was a fervent anti-war as well as civil rights activist and endured a great deal of condemnation for his stance against the Vietnam War. Credit: Photo By John Anderson
Quote of the Week: “Unless you understand what it was like before Roe v. Wade, it’s hard to understand why we don’t want to go back.” — Austin attorney Sarah Weddington, who won the landmark case guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion, which was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court 30 years ago this week.
Barton Springs Pool is closed for 90 days because … well, you know why. (See “ Austin@Large.”)
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst were sworn in Tuesday with appropriate ceremony (see “The GOP’s Inaugurama“).
Two restaurateurs — local Benihana operator Brad Meltzer and longtime deli impresario Marc Katz — announced their intentions to join Council Member Will Wynn, former Council Member Max Nofziger, and perennial candidate Jennifer Gale in the upcoming Austin mayor’s race. More on this story next week.
Those darn French — who hold a veto on the UN Security Council, even if their country is smaller than Texas — vowed to block any U.S. attempt to make quick war upon Iraq.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.