A grassroots group is planning a protest Saturday morning in the Big Bend region to oppose potential construction of a border wall along the Rio Grande, citing environmental, economic and property rights concerns.
According to a flyer circulating locally and online, the demonstration is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 28 at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 170 and Texas Highway 118, near the entrance to Big Bend Ranch State Park.
The flyer states that a wall through Big Bend Ranch State Park, Big Bend National Park and nearby communities would be “a massive waste of taxpayer money,” harm tourism and fragile desert ecosystems, and potentially violate federal environmental and historic preservation laws. It also raises concerns about impacts on private property owners and state sovereignty.
Organizers describe the effort as a “local non-partisan grassroots movement” committed to nonviolence. The materials also argue that the Big Bend region experiences relatively few border crossings compared with other sectors.
“Big Bend does not need a border wall,” the flyer states, adding that participants aim to support conservation, the rule of law and what it calls “smart border policy.”
Federal officials have not announced any new wall construction plans specific to the protest location, though border barrier projects have periodically been proposed or studied in parts of West Texas in recent years.
The Big Bend region, known for its remote terrain and protected public lands, has long been a focal point in debates over border security infrastructure due to environmental sensitivities, tourism dependence and complex land ownership patterns.
It was not immediately clear which organizations are formally sponsoring the protest.
