SALT LAKE CITY — A weekend No Kings rally protesting the Trump administration at the Utah State Capitol comes four months after one person was killed at a similar event in downtown Salt Lake City.
The protest scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday will be hosted by Salt Lake Indivisible, a different organization from the one in June, and is one of several events being held across the state.
Salt Lake Indivisible claims it has been working with local partners and police to ensure the safety of those who will participate.
“Peaceful protests are such an important part of our American experience, and it’s important as organizers to ensure that’s what you deliver when people come to an event,” explained organizer Sarah Buck.
Bystander Arthur Folasa Ah Loo was shot and killed by a volunteer peacekeeper at the June 14 protest, which was organized by Utah 50501. Salt Lake Indivisible hosted a march on the same day at the University of Utah and is dedicated to hosting another safe event.
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“One of the big changes that has happened at this No Kings is every single host that is hosting an event, whether it’s in Ireland or the smallest town of Fillmore, they are required to appoint a safety lead, a media lead, [and] submit an in-writing safety plan, as well as attend a safety and deescalation training," explained Jamie Carter with Salt Lake Indivisible.
No one associated with Utah 50501 has worked on organizing Saturday's protest.
The group has taken the updated security measures a step further by requiring their volunteers to do in-person safety and de-escalation training. Carter and Buck said none of their volunteers will be armed, and they’ve asked the public to remain unarmed as well.
Salt Lake Indivisible is also working side by side with the Salt Lake City Police Department.
“It’s important to understand what they expect, and of their crowd or what they’re representing, and it’s important for us to adequately staff that to monitor any problems that might arise," shared Det. Greg Lovell with the Salt Lake City Police Department.
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Organizers expect thousands to attend the event at the Capitol, and due to the size of the crowd, they've decided to cancel the march portion of the protest.
“As the numbers crept up, we decided we didn’t really have the resources to support the march and the rally," said Buck. "We decided the focus should be on the place most people could participate, which would be the rally.”
With several safety precautions taken ahead of the protest, organizers want to reassure those who plan on attending that it will be a peaceful and powerful event.
“We want to make sure that this is a peaceful protest," added Carter, "it’s a community event, people are coming together, and they leave feeling empowered and fired up.”
