Protesters march to the Governor’s Mansion, want civilian control of police

Protesters came out Saturday night in the hundreds for a demonstration at the Capitol that ended after a march to the Governor’s Mansion.

Attendees were out as part of a national day of action against police violence, coordinated by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Utah Against Police Brutality.

The gathering was meant to promote community control — defined as civilians with the authority to hire and fire, as well as other regulatory control — of police departments. It focused on repealing HB415, which passed during the 2019 general session and bans such advisory groups. Marchers demanded Gov. Gary Herbert hold another general session to achieve that.

In front of the mansion, demonstrators pointed to recent violence against protesters at a July 9 demonstration, where some attendees spilled paint outside the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office and broke five windows. Officers in riot gear hit demonstrators with shields and batons and fired less-than-lethal ammunition at them. Police said demonstrators were throwing objects at officers, one of whom was taken to the hospital. At least two protesters also received treatment at a hospital and many came away with bruises.

Jade Arter, with Utah Against Police Brutality, told a crowd outside the mansion that police “are not our friends.” She said no matter how much training officers receive, or how many body cameras, they’ll still infringe on people’s rights, including continuing to kill people. Arter said that’s why community control is important: Police won’t hold themselves accountable, but civilians can.

The demonstration ended after protesters laid on the ground for approximately 8 minutes in honor of George Floyd, who was killed this year when a Minneapolis police kneeled on his neck. As protesters laid on the ground, other demonstrators outlined their bodies in chalk. When the group left, their shapes remained.

From the moments protesters first arrived at Saturday’s demonstration, they were met with a contingency of counterprotesters, some armed, including members of Utah Citizen’s Alarm, who have shown up at recent demonstrations against police violence in Provo and in Taylorsville.

The group says on its Facebook page that it exists “not to oppose peaceful assemblies, but to discourage any violent or destructive behavior that may arise and to maintain civility in the communities where our friends and families reside.”