After Several Tense Moments, Final Demonstrators Begin To Disperse
Jun 1, 2020, 9:50 PM | Updated: 10:17 pm
(KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Several dozen remnants of a peaceful demonstration of thousands in Salt Lake City have lined up to confront officers enforcing curfew.
The initial protest began around 6 p.m. Monday at Washington Square. After a “speak-out” event, demonstrators marched to police headquarters, and then to the Utah State Capitol Building, and through several downtown streets.
Just before 9 p.m., officials gave protesters multiple warnings they would begin enforcing a citywide curfew that began an hour earlier.
Officers move in on protestors and begin making arrests after telling them they had 15 minutes to disperse.
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/QCfpt0MTNh pic.twitter.com/UKnz5pKTWd
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) June 2, 2020
Around 15 minutes later several people had dispersed, but others told KSL they were waiting around to see what officers would do.
Troopers from the Utah Highway Patrol began advancing and making arrests near the capitol.
Another group of several hundred protestors knelt down in the roadway for one final act of defiance, where they lined up opposite officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department and chanted “Black Lives Matter.”
Protesters were just feet away from the police lines. Officers stood behind long shields but did not approach or engage the protesters.
One protester with a megaphone paced in the gap between the police and the protesters.
He yelled, “Do you want to get arrested?”
After some cheering from the crowd, they held their ground for a few moments before starting to disperse.
The man with the megaphone urged the protesters to leave the area peacefully.
He was heard asking police, “May we leave peacefully?” and “Do we have permission to go home?”
The man then urged protesters, “Do this the right way.”
A police officer approached the man, and after a brief discussion, the man turned to the crowd and yelled into the microphone, “We are all going to go out of here peacefully.”
He told the protesters, “Make a line with me and follow me out.”
The leader started helping police direct the crowd out of the area.
Although it was mostly peaceful, there was some damage. One arrest was also made of a protester that had a loaded handgun on him. We are now working to enforce curfew. https://t.co/0yQ8glmh7J pic.twitter.com/WeyES6SoJl
— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) June 2, 2020
Chief Mike Brown said although the protest was peaceful, there were still some damages downtown, and threats made against police. He said one person was arrested who was carrying a loaded handgun and golf club.
“There are still individuals out here who want to hijack the message and commit crime,” he said.
Brown said there were some skirmishes around 300 East on 400 South, and water bottles thrown at officers, but commended demonstrators for keeping things from getting out of control.
Around 9:45 p.m. there were still people lingering on Salt Lake City streets.
“We want people to go home. It’s an hour-and-a-half after the curfew and it’s time. It’s time to go home,” Chief Brown said.