Salt Lake City, UT – On Oct. 22, the national day of action to fight police brutality, 30 activists and community members gathered outside a local library to attend a vigil honoring victims of police brutality. The event, organized by Utah Against Police Brutality, called for attendees to participate in a telephone call-in to Mayor Jackie Biskupski to demand a Community Controlled Review Board.

“Until we have a voice on how we are being policed, we are not being policed, we are being occupied. And the police are the occupying force,” said Gregory Lucero, a founder of Utah Against Police Brutality.

Moses Hughes also addressed the crowd, “The cops are supposed to protect us, not hurt us. They are supposed to be the shield, not the sword. That is why people respect them, but if they refuse to do their part, why should we?”

Chalk outlines representing Salt Lake City's victims of police brutality surrounded the rally. “You're looking at 25 chalk outlines, but it's not just 25 deaths,” Hughes said. “It is the children those victims will now never have. It is all the people sitting at home crying, because their children, their father, their brother have been killed.”

“Nationally, the government has taken power away from the people and given it to blue uniforms with guns whose best interest isn't the communities they're supposed to be serving,” said Carly Halderman, an organizer of the protest. “We are taking back that power and our humanity at any cost. This is what democracy looks like.”

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