‘Defending my people': Immigrant advocates protest in Salt Lake City as national debate heats up
SALT LAKE CITY — Several hundred demonstrators waving U.S. and Mexican flags, holding signs blasting U.S. immigration authorities and chanting slogans of support for immigrants gathered in downtown Salt Lake City as the immigration debate across the country heats up.
The Utah protestors, who gathered Thursday at Washington Square Park, referenced the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration in Los Angeles, which has prompted demonstrating there by immigrant advocates. 'We have to take notes from Los Angeles and unite as one,' said Jazz Dumas, of Utah March, one of the groups that organized the protest.
Another demonstrator in attendance, pushing a child in a stroller, a Mexican flag draped around her shoulder, also alluded to the Los Angeles demonstrations. President Donald Trump attempted to deploy National Guard troops to quell the protest activity, prompting backlash from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others, but a U.S. judge barred the action on Thursday, according to Reuters.
'I'm so proud of them for sticking up,' said the woman, who identified herself as Adriana. 'I'm proud of the the LA citizens for going out there and defending my people.'
The protestors packed the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, where the Salt Lake City-County Building is located, and they were loud and boisterous. Organizers dubbed the protest 'From LA to SLC: ICE Out!' In a press briefing afterward, Salt Lake City police spokesman Brent Weisberg labeled the event 'unplanned' and said the crowd size reached an estimated 600.
The demonstrators, who later marched through downtown Salt Lake City, were 'mostly peaceful,' he said. He reported a few 'agitators' in the group and said there were 'a few small skirmishes' in Washington Square Park. A Tesla received unspecified damage while the demonstrators marched through Salt Lake City, according to Weisberg, and that incident remains under investigation.
In one of the skirmishes at Washington Square, a man wearing a shirt reading 'Trump is GOAT of presidents' blasted one of the speakers for talking in Spanish and shouted down the protesters. Several crowded around him, shouting back, and he eventually left.
The tone of Thursday's protest was defiant, with speakers variously urging solidarity with immigrants and blasting immigration agents, police and the wealthy people perceived to be the ruling class. 'The real criminals are the billionaires who run this country and (exploit) the rest of us for their own profits. The real criminals are the racist police and the ICE forces who arrest us and deport us to keep us from demanding equal rights,' said Liz Maryon, with the Salt Lake Community Bail Fund.
Among the many in the crowd was Seka Groves, of Salt Lake City, there with a group of other Native Americans.
'We're Northern Ute and Hopi, and we feel like it's important to stand up for our brothers and sisters, our cousins,' he said. He hopes a takeaway from the event is that even in a conservative state like Utah, 'there are still people that support immigrants and brown people.'
Jodi Archer, of Lehi, there with two of her daughters, Eli and Gwen, said the Trump administration's moves to deploy the National Guard and Marines in support of the immigrant crackdown went too far.
'It's just out of control,' she said. The presence of immigrants in the country isn't 'something that's really ever bothered me. If they're not causing a problem, and they're contributing, they're working, I don't see any problem with people coming here.'
Gwen Archer said everyone deserves dignity.
'Everyone is a human, and I think being from a country were we pledge justice for all, that's what I hope for, that's what I vote for, that's what I want in this country, in a country that's made of immigrants,' she said.
The demonstrations in California and planned anti-Trump protests on Saturday across the country, including several set for Utah, have prompted hand-wringing among some Utah officials. They support the right of free speech and the right to protest, they say, but won't stand for violence.
'We ask everyone exercising these rights to use good judgment and remain peaceful,' the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Thursday. 'Acts of violence, vandalism or any other criminal behavior will not be tolerated and will be addressed immediately. We remain committed to safeguarding both the right to protest and the rule of law.'
In light of the situation, nonessential employees at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City and the 4th District Courthouse in Provo were asked to stay home on Friday. Chris Palmer, director of security for Utah State Courts, said similar moves were implemented in 2020 in response to protesting that year.
The anti-Trump demonstrations on Saturday, dubbed No Kings protests, are spearheaded by Indivisible, a group formed in opposition to Trump. They are scheduled to take place all across the country. Protests in Utah are scheduled for Logan, Ogden, Park City, Heber City, Provo, Moab, Boulder, Price, Ephraim, Bluff, Cedar City, St. George and Kanab, according to the No Kings website. Two protests are set for Salt Lake City, at Pioneer Park and on the University of Utah campus.
Contributed: Daniel Woodruff
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