NAACP Boycott at Highland Mall Austin Texas - Texas Relays

As night fell in Austin after an action-packed day at the Texas Relays, business was humming as usual Saturday on Sixth Street. But Highland Mall was quiet, and the closing brought a rebuke from the head of the local NAACP chapter.

Highland Mall and a downtown music club said they would close early or altogether because of safety concerns during Texas Relays, a track event that attracts young people, including a large number of African Americans, from Texas and other states.

Highland Mall, which in previous years has been a gathering spot during the relays,closed at 2 p.m. Saturday instead of the usual 9 p.m., and Flamingo Cantina, reggae music club, was shuttered for the evening.

www.statesman.com reports

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Texas Relays
• NAACP
• Austin Texas
• Highland Mall
• Nelson Linder
• The Todd & Don Show

[JungSwon]

dam this guy is stupid and doesnt understand lol what, you think police works for free? xD "there are guys spending money on that day and making the mall money"...not really, I work in this mall, 7/10 people would steal and THE MALL IS IN DEBT! meaning they dont have the money to afford security lol who decided to put this guy on NAACP?? lol ridiculous

[JJMillertime]

People that come to Austin for SXSW dont loiter at the mall. They spend money downtown at the bars, restaurants and listen to the bands. Its a BIG difference between the Texas Relay crowd... they hang out at the mall, why would you hang out at the mall? Highland Mall has every right to close down due to people loitering and stealing merchandise.

[AtXDiaMonD1]

i got to agree with the naacp of course because when it comes around to the south by south west you really don't be seeing polices downtown as much but when it comes down to the texas relays what do you know polices are over here, over there etc..and for wbarrett talking shit about black folks talk all your shit through this computer but i bet u want talk that same shit in our face...u don't be hearing me saying cracka...oops i said it lol..texas relays is sumptin we look forward to get over it.

[timpipe]

Amen to that. Linder says the businesses downtown that were planning to close on Saturday night in 2008 were racist too. One was a punk rock club and the other was a reggae club on the same block where there is gun play every year. Every year. I was there four years in a row, gunshots and stampedes each year. Two Emo's employees were assaulted after time in the previous year. Business is nearly non existent for these two businesses during Relays, so why not close?

[wbarrett1974]

Let's pretend it's not a race issue. REALLY?! I have friends who are black. This is different. Chris Rock wouldn't back off for a second. This mall was overrun by 'niggers'. Yep. I said it. If you're black and you're reading this you can't disagree. You have to be pissed off at the assholes responsible for it. It's fucking sad.

[thuggnpretty]

it not a race issue when sxsw comes around. it becomes a race issue when you presume that a certain group of people can be the most violent in the city. any race has a demeanor

[Phatboi400]

Nelson is a idiot, I worked this event. Nelson does not want to talk about the 12 fights is 2 hours that resulted in Police Officers getting assulted. There is no shopping in the Mall on this day just yound men looking at the half nude females in the Mall.

[poptrunkking00]

haha it is a race issue. Im scared when i see a group of 100 white guys wearing black trench coats.