AUSTIN — Donald Trump’s opponents in Texas may not feel like celebrating on Friday, but labor and civil rights groups are planning events across the state anyway as the billionaire businessman takes the oath of office become the 45th president of the United States.

Denouncing Trump’s policies on immigration, the environment and other issues, the One Resistance coalition plans rallies in Dallas, Houston and Austin. Some University of Texas students are also planning to walk out of classes Friday afternoon. 

“We don’t think marches like this are ever a waste of time,” said Zenen Jaimes, spokesman for the Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin. “There’s a myth that Texas is a big monolith, but there’s generations that have fought for social justice issues, and that tradition is holding well with this action.”

While the national spotlight will be on Washington D.C., where Trump takes the oath on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, Jaimes and others say they’re committed to working at the state level.

They’ll be equally committed the next day, when Texas versions of the Women’s March planned in Washington, D.C., take place in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Brownsville and McAllen.

Whatever protesters say, Andy Hogue, spokesman for the Travis County Republican Party, noted the GOP is in the driver’s seat, in Texas and elsewhere.

In November, Texans gave Trump about 4.7 million votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 3.9 million.

Republicans held onto the Legislature, too. The Texas Senate has 20 Republicans and 11 Democrats. In the House, it’s 99 Republicans and 50 Democrats.

Republicans have tightened control of state legislatures across the country, with 4,170 GOP members compared to 3,129 Democrats, according to The Hill newspaper.

In addition, Republicans control both houses of the legislature and governor’s office in two-dozen states. 

As for the rallies, Hogue said, “It just has to be desperation.

“They know if they don’t act now, they won’t have enough momentum in 2020 to put up their own candidates,” he said. 

Justin Hewlett, vice president of the Johnson County Republican Party, echoed Hogue’s sentiments.

Trump’s victory showed “working class Americans woke up,” he said.

Hewlett, who voted for Trump, although he originally backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for the GOP nomination, dismissed the potential impact of Friday’s demonstrations, in Texas or in Washington.

But Montserrat Garibay, who plans to be in downtown Austin on Friday, said it’s important to make a statement.

“We want to resist hate and racist and xenophobic policies,” said Garibay, who is vice president of Education Austin, the labor union for teachers, librarians and other professional staff, as well as bus drivers, clerical and cafeteria workers of the Austin Independent School District. “We want to make a statement.” 

Garibay said she’s particularly worried about Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, and her lack of experience in public education. 

DeVos supports charter schools and vouchers at a time when Texas lawmakers are advancing plans to create education savings accounts to give parents flexibility for school enrollment. Critics fear the plan will drain funds for public schools. 

“As educators, we feel that the secretary of eduction must have a background in public schools,” Garibay said. “She’s very out of touch.”

For Chuck Smith, executive director of Equality Texas, which advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Texans, hitting the streets is crucial at time when state lawmakers are focusing on a controversial “bathroom bill.”

The measure would require transponder people to use public restrooms corresponding with their “biological sex,” not the gender with which they identify. The bill also overrides any local ordinances to the contrary. 

“Equal treatment should not be a partisan issue,” Smith said. “The primary goal is to publicly let people know that we are standing up and will be working to do everything we can to ensure that rights of every Texan and every American.” 

While Friday’s forecast calls for clouds in Austin, Garibay said her union will show up rain or shine.

“We have 3,000 members. We have high hopes,” she said.

Lexie Cooper, president of the Austin chapter of the National Organization for Women, said three charter buses are coming from Houston for the Women’s March in Austin on Saturday.

“Anybody not going to D.C. who still wants to march, I would guess they’re coming to Austin,” she said. 

Hogue, in the meantime, said he plans to attend two GOP events in Austin on Friday.

“We’ll be the fun bunch,” he said.

John Austin covers the Texas Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach him at jaustin@cnhi.com.