More than 5,000 protestors convened at the Marriott Library to demonstrate No Kings Day on Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon, according to estimates from police and event organizers. The nationwide No Kings protests are in response to the Trump administration’s plans to hold a large-scale military parade through Washington D.C. that is expected to cost taxpayers up to $45 million.
Saturday’s event included a series of speakers and musical performances. Protesters chanted slogans such as “This is what democracy looks like” and “The people united will never be divided” while holding signs and flags representing a range of messages and causes. Participants filled the plaza and surrounding areas, with families, students and community members in attendance.
Sarah Buck, a 63-year-old retired K-6 teacher and longtime organizer with the Salt Lake Indivisible chapter, said she never considered herself a protester, until now.
“Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of protests,” Buck said. “But in this moment, it’s one of the ways that we make our voices heard.”
Buck, who has helped lead the local Indivisible chapter since 2017, said the group chose the University of Utah as the protest site to send a message about institutional independence.
“The message was that our institutions should be independent of our government,” she said. “The government should not be able to come in and threaten them with cutting their grants and cutting their funding because they aren’t teaching what they want them to teach … that’s not what a free society looks like.”
Teneille Brown, law professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, was among those who spoke to the crowd. She warned protestors that American democracy is “barely breathing” and urged them to reject politicians who support former President Donald Trump.
“We still have one final check on Trump’s power, and that is our election in November,” Brown said. “The politicians are not our bosses. We are theirs.”
In a brief interview with The Daily Utah Chronicle, Brown said she felt compelled to speak out due to the legal profession’s silence.
“It’s alarming how much Trump is disrespecting the rule of law and how few lawyers are speaking out,” she said. “It’s really important to keep fighting for our rights before we lose them.”
Buck praised the event’s speakers, including Brown, for educating the public.
“When you have a professor of law telling you what Trump is doing, it hits different than having me tell you that,” Buck said. “It’s an important time to educate people, not just to complain.”
A diverse crowd
The protest drew a wide range of participants across age groups and backgrounds. Attendees included students, families with children and military veterans, some of whom said it was their first time participating in a political demonstration.
Sylvie Turner, a 20-year-old math major at the U, said she was surprised by the varying age range of those in attendance.
“People are bringing their kids here [and] grandparents here,” Turner said. “I love seeing how the whole community has come together again in such a peaceful and positive way.”
The protest also attracted a sizable number of U.S. veterans to the demonstration including Kenneth Adams, a 75-year-old Navy veteran who served in Desert Storm.
“This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this,” he said. “I just couldn’t stay home any longer, listen to the news, watch what was going on and just sit on my hands and do nothing.”
Demonstrators including Kyle Ormond, a 29 year-old who works for a marketing firm, said No Kings Day marked their first time participating in a protest.
“It’s my first protest and I’m here because I think what’s going on is unconstitutional, the way that immigrants are being treated. Due process is not being given and a lot of bad things are going on that I don’t support,” Ormond said.
Ormond said he was initially nervous but felt encouraged once he saw the crowd.
“When I was walking over here, truth be told, I was a little nervous,” he said. “I had my flag, I had my signs. But once I got here and saw how many people — honestly, of all ages — it’s inspiring. It makes me feel better.”
Police presence
University and Salt Lake City police maintained a light presence at the event, with officers stationed around the perimeter. Officers assisted at least one person experiencing medical issues, but no major incidents were reported.
Special Functions Lt. Ryan Speers said the protest went “very well” and emphasized the department’s role in supporting peaceful demonstrations.
“We want to support people’s First Amendment rights,” Speers said. “It’s an absolute, transparent right from the Constitution that we’re happy to support and facilitate as best we can.”
He added that communication with organizers was strong and that officers remained focused on safety throughout the event.
“We really didn’t have too many issues outside of the general heat,” Speers said. “Had a few medical concerns, but no real issues as far as violence or anything else goes.”
Another officer added, “We would be here if we did not have to be on duty.”
A day of protests
Across Utah, several No Kings protests are being held on Saturday. One of the most prominent is set to take place Saturday evening in Salt Lake City at Pioneer Park at 6 p.m.
