TEXAS — The sudden shutdown of Texas bars drove bartenders, owners and other employees to the governor’s doorstep.

Austin Talley, who operates Whiskey Tango Foxtrot bar, said it was poor timing. After settling issues with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Gov. Abbott then ordered all bars to shut down.  Talley said it felt like the government pulled a rug from under them.

“My ancestors fought for our freedoms," Talley said over a megaphone. "I put on a uniform for 16 years, Governor Abbott!”

He's one of dozens of bar owners, bartenders and employees who traveled to Austin to protest the governor's executive order to close bars due to COVID-19 cases skyrocketing.

“To me, it’s personal," he explained. "I’m fighting for the 50 people who work for me.”

It’s been years since Talley was on active duty. Little did he know, he’d be back in a battlefield of sorts.

“This sounds a lot like combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, that it’s controlled chaos and you try to achieve objectives," he said.

Since Talley's bar closed Friday, he addressed his employees.

“I was like, ‘Apply for unemployment. Do everything you can to keep a roof over your head and food on the table,’” Talley urged. “This is devastating. Bars, small businesses who barely survived the first 60 days of closure are now facing an unknown end date. I can definitely tell you that most of them aren’t gonna survive the first 30.”

As of right now, Talley has not joined the lawsuit against the governor, but is weighing his options on whether to join or file their own suit.