A heated confrontation over street parking near Huston-Tillotson University in East Austin escalated into weekend protests after a viral video showed a student challenging new homeowners about notes left on legally parked cars.
The video, posted last week by senior Bri Nunn (Instagram: @briii.likethecheese), shows her approaching a couple at their home on East 9th Street, just feet from the university gates. Nunn accuses the couple of harassing students and professors who use the neighborhood’s public parking by leaving notes and, in one case, allegedly blocking a professor’s car with trash and recycling bins. In the exchange, the woman tells Nunn it is legal to park there is irrelevant because “we paid $1.5 million for our house” and references the university’s graduation rates as “25 percent,” before declaring, “This is our neighborhood.”
The clip has surpassed one million views. Over the weekend of October 10, students and community members gathered outside the home, playing music, chanting, and holding signs reading “You bought a house, not our history, East Austin is ours.” Neighbors described the gatherings as peaceful and respectful, though police were called multiple times.
Longtime resident Sybill Bradley, who has lived on the street for 16 years, told FOX 7 Austin that students parking on the public curb has long been the norm and that other neighbors have not complained. “We haven’t had any issues with parking at all,” she said. Another neighbor called the homeowner’s comments “disappointing,” particularly the remarks about the school.
The City of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works department confirmed that parking is allowed on the relevant blocks of East 9th Street, except in restricted zones such as driveways, intersections, and corner clearances. “The curb is otherwise open for public parking.”
Huston-Tillotson, founded in 1875, is Austin’s only HBCU and sits in the historically Black Chicon/East Austin area, which has seen significant demographic and housing-price changes in recent years. Recent data puts the university’s six-year graduation rate at roughly 33–34 percent, higher than the figure cited in the video.
FOX 7 attempted to reach the homeowners but received no response. The episode has drawn broader online discussion about public street parking, neighborhood change, and tensions near the longstanding campus.
SOURCES:
Huston-Tillotson parking dispute video sparks protests outside Austin home | FOX 7 Austin
‘This is OUR Neighborhood’: White Woman Moves Across from HBCU and Tries to Control Who Parks on Public Street, Sparking Tense Clash with Student
Huston-Tillotson University Graduation Rate & Retention Rate
Huston-Tillotson Parking Dispute Sparks East Austin Protests
Viral Confrontation With HBCU Karen Becomes FAFO Moment After Protesters Gather In Front Of Home – Black News
Huston-Tillotson parking dispute video sparks protests outside Austin home – Brightgram
The Thing That Happened on E. 9th Street – by Katie Friel
Go-Go Music Resumes At D.C. Store After Noise Complaints : NPR
