Rally to Abolish Property Taxes Attracts Strong Opinions, Few People

After months of promotion, only around 50 show.

Property taxes may be bad, but turnout at the rally to abolish them was worse. Now, one fed-up Republican activist is throwing in the towel, saying Texans will get exactly what they deserve.

At 9 AM on June 14, Aaron Sorrells, former Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas, held the "We're Done" rally. The event, staged outside the Texas Capitol, set out to rally support for scrapping property taxes across the state. Ironically, the rally was scheduled AFTER the legislative session had adjourned, reducing its potential impact. Sorrells predicted thousands would attend the event.

Apparently, having bad timing and frolicking on Capitol grounds makes you akin to those who bled and died for Texas independence.

It was reasonable for people to wonder how the rally would unfold, and whether it could generate strong turnout or meaningful results. Turnout questions seemed to strike a nerve with Sorrells, who at times reacted defensively.

When it became increasingly clear how little thought went into planning, Sorrells claimed, without evidence, that AG Ken Paxton was leading some vast illuminati conspiracy intent on disrupting his gathering.

As the Texas Newspaper of Record, we’ve tracked this matter for months, covering all the drama preceding this event.

Many People Are Saying (5/30/25)

Anyway, the rally finally happened, and well...

Firstly, here’s early turnout. Just before the event’s start time, it’s around 10-15 people standing around talking. The figure on the far left has nothing to do with the rally; he was a shirtless hobo talking to a tree (a common Austin sight.)

Before the rally, they tried to put signs in Capitol grounds. After passers took photos and reported this infringement on Capitol rules, attendees were made to remove them.

For final turnout, here it is: a whopping 45-50 people.

This my friends is what you get when you flunk “Event Planning 101.” Look, abolishing property taxes is a noble cause, but when you decide to pick a ridiculous date and time for a rally, scream angrily at anyone questioning the rally, and then claim said demonstration will be in the thousands, it makes normal activists look silly.

Sorrells appears to have rage quit politics. Of course, life goes on for Texans, still enduring our state’s psychotically high property taxes.