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Anti-ICE protest mostly peaceful; arrest made after fight breaks out
SALT LAKE CITY () — Police estimate more than 1,000 people took to the Salt Lake City streets Thursday to protest ICE and the Trump administration's immigration policies.
Salt Lake City Police called the protest 'mostly peaceful' as officers engaged with the crowd as demonstrations began, handing out guidelines for lawful gatherings. At the beginning of the protest, though, two counter protestors entered the crowd and seemed to instigate a fight. Video below:
We spoke to one of the counter protestors before the fight broke out. He went by Kissmayoo and told 'Ice, let them do their job, okay? If you came here illegally, you have to go back. We're not trying to kick anybody out on purpose. We're just following the law. All these people out here, I think they're stupid. He is just doing his job.'
One demonstrator, Veronica Bojorquez, explained why she believes it's important to show up.
'People are showing up, you know, and they're doing it peacefully and they're showing that we can do this the right way,' she said. 'And they need to listen to the people and especially of red state, where, you know, you think that not as much people as we see today are going to show up. I mean, they're here.'
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Anti-ICE protests begin in Salt Lake City
The crowd spilled into the downtown streets with traffic blocked off. Police say they responded to some medical emergencies during the march. They also say the made one arrest after a fight broke out after 9 p.m., after many demonstrators had left. Police also noted, 'participants in the demonstration worked to mitigate and defuse several agitators provoking fights.'
Some in the crowd were inspired to demonstrate in response to the raids and riots in Los Angeles. Thomas Camoin told us, 'They instigated it. People are frustrated. You know, it was a puddle of gasoline and Trump's people came in and put a match on it.'
Police say a Tesla was vandalized in the demonstration. Chief Brian Redd released a statement in the aftermath saying:
'We're thankful that tonight's demonstration remained mostly peaceful. We also want to thank those organizers and participants who made a genuine effort to keep things lawful and respectful – that is our expectation and doing so respects the values of our community. As there are future demonstrations, we expect everyone to follow the law and to avoid confrontations that could turn violent. I also appreciate the hard work of our Salt Lake City police officers and those from allied agencies for their professionalism and coordination. Our top priority is public safety, which includes doing everything we can to keep safe while protecting our community.'
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