SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of people gathered in Salt Lake City on Saturday for the third "No Kings" protest, which began at Washington Square and ended at the Utah State Capitol. The protest began with chants and songs, as participants expressed their concerns and rallied together.
"It's a sad time for our country, and I feel like we need to take a stand," said Pascal Madsen from Sugar House.
Utah Highway Patrol officials estimated the crowd at 10,000 people. Participants walked 1.3 miles to the State Capitol, with demonstrators spanning multiple generations.
"I used to do this against the Vietnam War when I was a kid," said David Jones from Salt Lake City. "I think when you look around, there's a lot of seniors here, a lot of retired people. We may be out of work market, but we're not out of the political market."
Other demonstrators shared personal concerns about voting rights and civil protections.
"It wasn't that long ago that women couldn't vote in this country. The Save Act really scares me," said Tawna Campbell of West Jordan. "I worry for all my immigrant friends, my trans friends, my LGBTQ friends."
"With all that's going on in the country, we're really disappointed, to say the least, and we're just speaking our mind, and hopefully helping the country alongside," said David Lemp, also from West Jordan.
The protest remained peaceful, and the Salt Lake City Police Department said they had no incidents. Many demonstrators say they believe using their voice is a key part of democracy.
"If we're not doing this, the world won't know that we're here and that we're against what's going on," Madsen said.
