SALT LAKE CITY — A judge has dismissed criminal charges leveled against a protester who stood on a median during a pro-Palestine march.
Liz Maryon was charged with walking on a road illegally, failure to stop at the command of an officer, and disorderly conduct during a May 2024 demonstration. But 3rd District Court Judge Dianna Gibson dismissed the case on Wednesday. After a preliminary hearing, court records show the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office had filed to drop the case "in the interests of justice."
In a rare move (because it does not typically defend in criminal cases), the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah represented Maryon. The ACLU argued that the case against Maryon was "inflammatory and legally unsound."
"Walking on a sidewalk or street during a peaceful protest is not a crime, it’s a constitutional right,” Abigail Cook, staff attorney for the ACLU of Utah, said in a statement. “Utahns engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment should never be threatened with jail time for making their voices heard.”
Maryon, the ACLU argued, was engaged in constitutionally protected protest and Utah's laws governing people in roads does not prohibit temporary, spontaneous demonstrations. The ACLU argued it is part of a disturbing trend of government intimidation of protesters. Salt Lake City has seen numerous marches and rallies in support of Palestinian people, as well as mass demonstrations against actions brought by the Trump administration.
"The police tried to scare people into thinking we don’t have the right to protest without a permit or to march in the streets. When law enforcement charged me, it sent a message—one that failed—meant to discourage protesters in Utah calling Israel’s attacks on Palestine a genocide and demanding an end to U.S. support for Israel," Maryon said in a statement released by the ACLU. "We defended our rights to protest by fighting these charges. This dismissal is a victory for everyone who refuses to be intimidated by the growing crackdown on protest rights."
Judge Gibson dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled against Maryon.
