AUSTIN — Encouraged by the apparent support of President Donald Trump, about 200 protesters defied social distancing rules Saturday afternoon to mass in front of the Texas Capitol to call for lifting of social and economic restrictions enacted to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Chanting “Let us work!” “Fire Fauci” and “Make America free again,” participants took turns yelling into megaphones, recording each other on their phones and parading up and down 11th Street at the Congress Avenue intersection. About two dozen Austin police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers stood by.

After an initial confrontation with several protesters edging into the street, the police mostly observed the protest, declining to issue citations for the generally unmasked and non-social-distancing participants.

The rally had been organized and promoted by Owen Shroyer, an Infowars host and colleague of Alex Jones, the site’s founder. Jones made an appearance about 30 minutes into the event, yelling through a megaphone through the sunroof of a black Infowars Humvee, inspiring loud cheers from the crowd.

The protest was the latest in a flurry of similar demonstrations across the country, including in California, Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan, where a demonstration in Lansing drew thousands of protesters.

On Friday, Trump appeared to throw his support behind the demonstrations, tweeting LIBERATE MICHIGAN and LIBERATE MINNESOTA, two states led by Democratic governors.

The timing of the Austin protest, a day after Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a plan to ease the economic restrictions in Texas that have crippled businesses and caused the state’s unemployment rate to skyrocket, suggested that the Austin protest was more political than economic. Participants appeared to represent a wide range of conservative causes, from anti-vaccination and anti-abortion activists, to people quoting Scripture and blowing a shofar.

In addition to “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, others carried signs saying “Dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery” and “Legalize jiu jitsu,” an apparent reference to martial arts studios shuttered by government order. Another blasted ZZ Top songs. A man wore a personal body camera.

On Friday afternoon, Abbott announced that retailers could open for curbside delivery. He also reopened state parks for small groups of visitors who must still wear face masks. He said some elective medical procedures could resume, as well, although abortions were not included.

The governor said he would announce more measures April 27 and again in May, provided the spread of the novel coronavirus appeared to be controlled.

Under pressure from constituent dislocations because of their tanking economies, governors in several other states have also announced loosened restrictions. Epidemiologists have warned that such measures are risky without better and more available testing.

About 18,000 Texans have tested positive for the new coronavirus; 450 have died.