Salt Lake City, UT – 40 community members gathered on a cold Saturday afternoon, February 23, to protest Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border. People came out to denounce what is understood as a racist and anti-immigrant ‘emergency’ and border wall. They also came because of the anti-immigrant attacks that continue to happen in Salt Lake City. Police brutalize Black and brown people, family members continue to be deported and anti-immigrant white supremacist groups have started organizing on college campuses in the city.

Ella Mendoza, with the Nopalera Artist Collective, said they came to the protest, “because I’m undocumented and fuck anyone who is trying to pick on my people.” When asked what needs to be done next, Mendoza urged people to create banners, rallies, art, anything but sitting around and doing nothing.

Students from both the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) came to the rally, concerned about the emerging white supremacist activity on both campuses. “We’re trying to organize an event at our school, because I feel like our school sort of stays quiet when certain things happen, and it needs to be addressed,” said a member of Latinx Student Union at SLCC.

The Trump administration needs to know that they are facing resistance from across the United States, and that Salt Lake City will stand strong and fight for our undocumented friends and family until the attacks stop.

#SaltLakeCityUT #Utah #Trump #wall #stateOfEmergency

Salt Lake City, UT – Downtown Salt Lake City echoed with the chants of more than 50 demonstrators shouting, “Justice for Laquan,” “Community control now,” and “Jail killer cops,” on Sept. 5, the opening day of the trial for the Chicago cop who murdered young Laquan McDonald.

The protest was held in solidarity with the national day of action against police crimes called by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the National Committee Against Police Crimes.

Speakers from Utah Against Police Brutality, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Rose Park Brown Berets, Black Lives Matter-Utah, Salt Lake Democratic Socialists of America, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation addressed the crowd. They called for Jason Van Dyke to be convicted and jailed for his crimes.

They also called for community control of police, in the form of the Salt Lake Police Accountability Council, a body that could fire and discipline cops who murder people like McDonald or who engage in any form of misconduct, without relying on the corrupt police and city officials who refuse to hold police accountable.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #PoliceBrutality #Utah #Antiracism #LaquanMcDonald

West Valley City, UT – Elijah Smith was desperately trying to put his right arm in the air in order to comply with police orders when a still-unnamed officer fired the shots that took his life. His left was already raised, and he posed absolutely no threat, according to body camera footage released after police caved to activist demands and recently made the video public.

Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) responded with a rally on April 21, where more than 50 supporters came out to demand that the cop be fired, charged and jailed for his crime. They shouted “No justice, no peace!” and “Community control now!” as they gathered on the steps of West Valley’s city hall.

A moment of silence was held for the 20-year-old Black man taken by police violence; his funeral was held the same day, attended by family and close friends.

“We need to feel the loss of those souls and come together to demand better,” said UAPB organizer Jade Arter. “For them, for us, for their children and for our children, for our future.”

Smith was murdered while seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was. His family believes that he ‘matched the description’ only because of the color of his skin.

As he fled in fear from a department known for its corruption, Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home, where an officer shot and killed him while he tried to comply with their orders to raise his hands. Officials say he ‘rapidly’ raised his right hand. Three unattended young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

Gabriella Killpack, a UPS co-worker of Smith, vowed to keep up the pressure on WVCPD until the killer cop is fired and charged.

Carly Halderman, an organizer with UAPB, called for real, comprehensive community control of police, including an elected body with the power to investigate shootings, subpoena testimony, fire killer cops, and oversee police policy.

“Why are police policing the police? It makes no sense,” Halderman said. “It is completely absurd that we would have them investigate themselves.”

Brown Berets activist Shirley Reyes spoke about how the continued killings of people of color is a reflection of continued racism. She called for all killer cops to be held accountable.

“Shame on that killer cop, and all those who shoot first and ask questions later,” she said. “We will be here to make sure every single trigger happy cop is held accountable for their actions!”

Black Lives Matter leader Lex Scott spoke about how authorities use police power to keep black and brown people oppressed, pointing out that a huge proportion of Ferguson, Missouri residents had active warrants at the time of Michael Brown’s murder in 2014. She said this is one way police keep people under control.

“When we hold this protest in front of West Valley City PD, it’s because we want them to hear this message and really see the power of the people,” she said.

Her speech was interrupted by a white supremacist shouting “White power!” from a nearby car. Protesters reacted with overwhelming shouts of “Fuck white supremacy!”

UAPB activist Francesca Ball ended the rally with a deeply emotional appeal to end police violence. She carried signs bearing the names of close to a dozen people killed by Utah police in recent years, people like Darrien Hunt, Patrick Harmon, Corey Kanosh, Dillon Taylor – and now Elijah Smith.

“How many more signs like this do we need to make?” she pleaded. “How many names? How many different names?”

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #Antiracism #SaltLakeCity #ElijahSmith

Few details are currently available on what happened, except the sparse pieces of information released by police. The department is withholding body camera footage of the killing and the events leading up to it.

Nevertheless, it appears that Smith was seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was.

Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road as he fled in fear from West Valley City (WVC) cops, a department that is known to be both violent and corrupt. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home where an officer shot and killed him. Three young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

Smith was a Teamster who worked at the local UPS hub until recently. His UPS coworkers have planned a protest for Saturday, April 14, at 4 p.m. at the WVC police department headquarters to demand justice.

“What right did [the WVCPD officer] have to traumatize the three innocent children for years to come?” asked UPS coworker Parker Heywood. “The police officer did not serve and protect on Sunday, and many lives will forever be affected. I hope that the police officer will receive the punishment that he deserves. No one should be above the law, including police officers!”

WVC cops have recently committed several other acts of brutality. One officer shot the teenage driver of a car in mid-March. Police officials say the car had “lurched” forward as the officer approached it. No footage or further information has been released regarding the incident.

WCV officers also invaded the home of a grieving family in late February. A young couple’s baby had died at a local hospital just hours before. When a family member refused to let the officers into the home as they recovered from their loss, the officers kicked down the door, assaulted several people inside, used pepper spray on family members, and illegally searched the home. Family members released footage of the incident they had recorded as it occurred. The two officers who committed the assaults have been reassigned but not fired.

The WVC department is also known for corruption. Its infamous drug unit was disbanded in 2012 in the wake of the killing of Danielle Willard. WVC cops in the unit were found to be stealing money, drugs, and ‘trophies’ from alleged crime scenes, stealing and/or misplacing evidence and illegally using GPS tracking devices without warrants. The drug-unit officer who killed Willard in 2012 during a sting operation was later fired after the shooting was found to be illegal. A judge dismissed the criminal case against the officer, who was then reinstated to the department before resigning with back pay. The drug unit has since been relaunched.

Protest organizers are demanding the release of footage of Elijah James Smith’s killing, firing of the officers involved in the death, and an end to WVCPD’s violent tactics. The event will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 14 at 3600 South Constitution Boulevard in West Valley.

More information can be found on Facebook at the “Justice for Elijah James Smith!” event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/159804091367395/

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #AntiRacism #Utah #killerCops

Salt Lake City, UT — Over 100 people joined Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to protest Donald Trump’s repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Sept. 15, at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building downtown.

Shirley Reyes, with SDS, kicked off the rally, denouncing the repeal that puts 800,000 young people at risk of deportation. “We cannot rely on the system; it is up to all of us. We are not only here to defend DACA, but to demand legalization for all.”

Griseille Davila, a DACA recipient and SDS member, gave an impassioned call to unite as a community. Davila called on the crowd to fight for immigrant rights and to defend undocumented immigrants from incarceration and deportation.

Sara Kang, another SDSer, began to cry while addressing the crowd, saying that she was worried for her friends who may face deportation. Kang finished her speech urging those assembled to fight back against the racist attacks from the Trump administration.

Emmaly Anderson, also with SDS, called out the hypocrisy of the University of Utah which has claimed to support undocumented students. Anderson said the U of U refused to meet student demands. She also said the U of U needs to refuse to host the on-campus event for Ben Shapiro, a racist right-wing columnist who has called for completely closing the U.S.-Mexico border.

After the speeches, the crowd moved into the street and marched north to the State Capitol building. Chanting “Liberation not deportation!” and “Sí se puede!” they shut down the usually busy roads in downtown Salt Lake City. Upon reaching the Capitol, Reyes closed out the rally with an announcement of SDS’s counter-demonstration against Ben Shapiro (the event page can be found at this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1945493489064441)

Besides SDS, the Sept. 15 protest drew organizers and activists from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB), and People’s Power Assembly as well as community members and students from the University of Utah.

#SaltLakeCityUT #PeoplesStruggles #immigrantRights #Utah #Antiracism #DACA

“This was an egregious act of police violence against one of the most important people in our community — a nurse,” said Utah Against Police Brutality organizer Dave Newlin. “Someone who gives her life, gives her time to heal the most vulnerable among us.”

Wubbles refused to comply with Payne’s illegal demand that she provide a blood sample from an unconscious patient. When she explained the policy that prevented her from turning over a blood sample, she was assaulted and arrested while officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) and the University of Utah stood by and did nothing. The incident was recorded, and the video has been viewed online millions of times and has received universal condemnation.

Karra Porter, a lawyer who represents the nurse, addressed the crowd and explained that Wubbles released the video because she felt she had a responsibility to speak out.

“She felt she owed it to everyone that this has ever happened to, every nurse who has ever been bullied by a law enforcement officer or otherwise, but didn’t have the video, so people wouldn’t believe them,” Porter said.

Newlin led the crowd in chanting “Power to the people!” and “Community control now!” Many carried signs such as “No more killer cops” and “Fire Payne now!”

Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) organizer Stephen Michael Christian reminded people that this is just one among many acts of police violence in Utah, and he called for community control of law enforcement.

“This attack on Alex and all the other acts of police violence are not just attacks on individuals in our community, it’s an attack on the community itself. Therefore, we need community control and we need it now,” Christian said.

Newlin reminded the crowd that while Wubbles’ assault is getting worldwide attention, we still have to fight for people like Patrick Harmon, whose cases have been brushed under the rug by authorities. SLCPD has refused to release any information about the recent police killing of Harmon, a 50-year-old homeless Black man.

The crowd responded with chants of “Release the footage!”

Psarah Johnson, director of Utah Women Unite, spoke about how the scourge of patriarchy played into the assault. She said that men and law enforcement officers need to learn to hear and accept the word “no” from women. Johnson, who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, also pointed out how close Wubbles came to being permanently disabled by the Salt Lake cop who assaulted her.

“Every time I see the video of Payne forcing her arm behind her back, I can feel my own bones crack and break,” she said.

Other speakers included Summer Smith with the People’s Power Assembly and Worker’s World Party, and Jessica Arter with UAPB and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The rally closed with words from four-year-old Cleo Harris, who walked up to organizers and said she had something important to tell people: “No justice, no peace! No brutal police!”

The crowd responded immediately with claps and chants of the same slogan.

#SaltLakeCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #Wubbles

Salt Lake City, UT — More than 50 people gathered in the heart of Salt Lake City on August 22 to protest the ongoing “Operation Rio Grande,” an act of police violence that has displaced hundreds of homeless people and led to over 400 arrests in just a few days.

Utah Against Police Brutality organized the protest, which took place in the Rio Grande area of Salt Lake City — where almost all vital homeless services are located. Those who have not been arrested have been pushed further and further from The Road Home shelter and other services on which they rely.

Jason Brentner, a former resident of the Road Home shelter, spoke to the crowd about how Operation Rio Grande harms homeless people in Salt Lake City, “When you spread out the homeless population, like they’re doing right now with Operation Rio Grande, you are hurting people’s chances of survival. The City of Salt Lake and the SLCPD, the message you are sending is that a shopping mall and a cafe is worth more than a person’s life.” Brentner is referring here to the Gateway Mall and the Pioneer Park Coalition, who have been active supporters of the war against the homeless.

Operation Rio Grande was born out of a desire from developers and business owners in the Rio Grande neighborhood to push homeless people out in order to make area more palatable to upper class shoppers. Wealthy business owners created the Pioneer Park Coalition as an advocacy group for business and property owners, with the prime objective to permanently move the homeless out of sight of downtown.

Plans are being made to close the Road Home shelter, which houses 1100 persons, and to open up three shelters across the valley which jointly will only shelter approximately 700 people. These new shelters will not open for years. City officials and the police have chosen to put profits before people.

Lex Scott, an organizer with the United Front Party, addressed the media’s coverage of the operation. “The media says they [the police] are getting rid of the criminal element, but that is not what they’re doing. They are criminalizing homelessness. Being homeless is not a crime!”

#SaltLakeCityUT #PoorPeoplesMovements #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Homeless #Utah #Antiracism

Salt Lake City, UT – 50 union members and supporters picketed the AT&T store, May 21, in South Jordan, Utah in support of the Communication Workers of America’s three-day strike. CWA members discouraged AT&T customers from crossing the picket line, asking that they support their fight for good jobs and return tomorrow when the strike would be over. Strikers and supporters had a high energy throughout the rainy day. They played union songs and chanted “No contract, no peace!”

“Rain or shine, we’ll be out here all day!” said Jordan Heaton, a union steward from CWA.

#SaltLakeCityUT #LGBTQ #strike #Utah #CWA

Salt Lake City, UT – Roughly 3000 people demonstrated against Trump's agenda, Nov. 10. The event was organized by a coalition of student, worker and community organizations. Protesters gathered at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building. The crowd chanted, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Donald Trump go away!” and “Liberation not deportation!” Several speakers representing various activist organizations in the valley spoke urging opposition to Trump's agenda.

Theresa Nielson of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization started off the event by reminding the crowd of the failure of the Democratic Party and the need for popular movements. “The Democrats are not going to save us. It will always be the people's movements that forge the way to progress.”

Sean Taylor of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said “We believe democracy is the people fighting for the people. Democracy is building a movement independent of electoral politics, it is standing up, organizing and fighting back!”

Organizer Gabriella Killpack, a Teamsters and organizer of Utah Supports Rasmea Odeh spoke of her hope for a better world built through working class solidarity and struggle. “I'm here today because we deserve more than what this society offers us. What Trump promises, and what Clinton promised. What I've learned from organizing in my union is that together, we don't beg for more, but we stand united and demand it. When people organize together like we're doing right here, we can create a world that is just for all.”

After the speeches, the gathering took to the streets, filling both lanes of traffic of State Street, the busiest street in Salt Lake City. The energy of the crowd was high as they marched through the core of downtown Salt Lake, and voiced their outrage at Trump's election. As the march approached the end of the route, people chanted “Take it to the capitol!” They continued up the hill toward the state capitol, while hundreds more began to show up, having seen the demonstration on the news. In spite of rumors that riot police might be awaiting them at the capitol, the demonstrators were not deterred and made the decision to continue the march to the capitol building. Upon arriving, it was discovered that there were no riot cops, and demonstrators filled the capitol steps to capacity.

At the capitol many people briefly came to the mic to say how they are planning to organize. Gabriella Killpack closed the rally with a call to continue to resist Trump. “I believe there's a beautiful new world to be had and we will be the ones to bring it into existence and I believe all of you here will continue this fight to make it happen. I know I will see you at the next Utah Against Police Brutality meeting, the next anti-war demonstration and fighting for justice for Rasmea Odeh.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #SaltLakeCItyUT #US #Protest #Utah #Antiracism #Antifascism #Elections #Trump #SaltLakerCity

On Sept. 27, 25 students rallied and marched on the University of Utah campus demanding “Education for all!”

The U of U Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is fighting for state-funded scholarships for undocumented people. It is part of a national SDS campaign that demands increased enrollment of Black and Latino students, equal access to education for undocumented students, and free tuition for all public universities.

In 2009, the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 81, which restricts undocumented students’ access to state-funded scholarships. Many students rely on these scholarships to attend college and gain a higher education. By not allowing undocumented people access to these scholarships, it is much more difficult to pay tuition. It restricts these individuals right to receive an education and advance in life.

The rally was the second local action for the campaign. Students marched from the Marriott Library to President’s Circle chanting, “When undocumented students are under attack what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”

“My parents came to the U.S. just two weeks before I was born. Although I am a legal citizen of the U.S., would I not be the same person if I had been born two weeks earlier? Does the arbitrary timing and place of birth change me as a person? I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me I have a right to an education and undocumented students shouldn’t either!” said Shirley Reyes of SDS.

Students at the University of Utah are determined to build the struggle on campus and fight for equal access to state-funded scholarships for undocumented people.

#SaltLakeCityUT #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #EducationForAll #SLC

Salt Lake City, UT – Thirty students joined Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Utah Marriott Library Plaza on Aug. 30. Utah SDS is demanding state-funded scholarships for undocumented students as part of the national SDS campaign “Education for all!”

In Utah, Senate Bill 81, that passed in 2009, bars undocumented students from applying for state-funded scholarships. One of these, the Regents Scholarship, is a merit-based scholarship with three award levels. The most prestigious award grants $1250 each semester for up to four semesters. This scholarship covers roughly a third of a full time student’s tuition at the University of Utah. This amount can be crucial for a student’s ability to afford school.

SDS at the University of Utah is demanding that the Regents scholarship, as well as other scholarships, be available to undocumented students. Most undocumented students attended high school in Utah prior to applying to college.

“We believe education is a right. That is why all over the country, SDS is fighting for affirmative action, protection of LGBTQ students, and here in Utah we are fighting to kill Senate Bill 81,” said Sean Taylor with Students for a Democratic Society.

“Our local SDS chapter intends on fighting for undocumented people’s access to education by mobilizing on campus, as well as up at capitol hill. We feel that we must address blatantly racist and unjust legislation and policies through organizing,” said Megan Barnhurst of SDS.

Students chanted, “Education not deportation!” and “Money for jobs and education! Not for war and occupation!” Hundreds of students stopped to watch and listen on their way to their next class. Some joined the rally and were eager to learn more about SDS and the campaign at the information table.

The rally ended with a Trump piñata bash and information about upcoming SDS meetings and how to get involved.

Theresa Nielson of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization concluded, “The struggle for ‘Education for all!’ is not something symbolic. It can truly improve the lives of people and is part of the greater struggle for the liberation of oppressed people.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #EducationForAll #AltLakeCity

Salt Lake City, UT – On May 1, 100 people gathered at the Salt Lake City and County Building to celebrate, table and rally for International Workers Day. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) hosted the event, joined by Students for a Democratic Society, Utah Against Police Brutality, Utah Anti-war Committee, Workers World Party, and Socialist Alternative.

Speeches by local activists and shop floor union leaders focused on labor and immigration rights. Joey Brandin performed songs such as There is Power in a Union and Solidarity Forever.

“As a Mexican immigrant, I can tell you that it is almost impossible to find a job in the state of Utah if you're undocumented. It means that many of these people will find themselves homeless, exploited under the table, or resorting to unconventional means of survival. In Utah, laws like SB 81 are denying undocumented queer people a chance at an affordable post-secondary education and a better future,” said Adrian Romero from Stand for Queer Lives.

Connor Richards from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), spoke about student solidarity with workers around the world. Then Richards shifted to immigrant rights at home saying, “We need you to support the SDS campaign Education for All, and the cutting of lines 36 through 42 of Senate Bill 81 that prevents state-funded scholarships from being granted to undocumented people.”

Erica Cole, union steward of the American Postal Workers Union, spoke about racist discrimination in employment, “It is ridiculous that if one of my daughters says she is white on a job application the outcome will be vastly different than if she says she is Black.”

Samantha Stott from Utah Against Police Brutality and Cop Watch explained to the crowd, “Speaking not only of the working class, but also those who are not working, those who are dealing with addiction and mental illness who are on the streets. They don’t have the help that they need.”

Carly Haldeman of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization was the final speaker, “I’m calling out to the working class to stand against the fraudulent system we call capitalism. We have to do the hard work! We have to organize!”

Ian Decker, also a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and emcee for the rally, thanked the people who attended the event, and invited them to a Marxism-Leninism Day School on Saturday, July 9.

Joey Brandin then sang the Internationale in solidarity with the workers and oppressed peoples of the world.

#SaltLakeCityUtah #AntiwarMovement #LGBTQ #MayDay #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #SLC

Salt Lake City, UT – 2500 people gathered to protest a Trump rally in Salt Lake City on Friday night, March 19. The University of Utah Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the Dump Trump rally. Protesters began to gather at the Salt Lake City and County Building at 6:00 p.m. What began as a crowd of a few dozen swelled to hundreds, then thousands.

Ricky Bonacks, an SDS member, started off the rally, by telling protesters, “We make America great. We may not run America yet, but we make America run – poor, working class people.”

Theresa Nielson of Students for a Democratic Society followed with a message encouraging people to take up activism, noting that “voting will not get rid of our problems. We must fight and struggle together.”

Alyssa Faith from the Utah Anti-War Committee focused on Trump’s foreign policy statements “Trump is a racist, islamophobic hate mongerer.” Faith stated, “Trump has no respect for the law, just like Adolph Hitler. Trump said that he would kill the family of suspected terrorists. When he was told this is illegal he said he would change the law. When he was told he couldn't change international law he said he didn't care about the law.” She also examined Trump’s approach to the war on Iraq, “Trump said he would make the Iraqi people pay us back for their liberation. Liberation from what? It was pure imperialism.”

Nick Godfrey, a member of Teamsters Local 222 spoke on Trump’s abuse of workers. “Trump’s wealth came first from a huge inheritance and then from the backs of poor immigrants.”

Dennis Potter from Utah’s Socialist Alternative stated,”Republicans act like he's hijacking their party. Republicans have cultivated the climate for Trump for years.”

Muna Omar from the University of Utah Students for Justice in Palestine spoke on Trump’s pro-Israel stance, stating, “When asked about his call for a wall along the border with Mexico Trump responded the a wall is working fine for Israel.” She also stated, “Trump is not the problem, the support for Trump is the problem. Trump doesn't believe what he says, but his supporters do. It's not Trump I hate, it's the people he represents.”

Ian Decker from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “Trump represents the most dangerous element of the American body politic. We need a world where people can live without fear. It can't end here – we need to fight, we need to unite, we need to organize.”

Gregory Lucero from Utah Against Police Brutality told the crowd, “If I get arrested tonight I’m willing to sacrifice my job, my livelihood, because Trump is that dangerous.”

Lucero said, “If Trump is elected he will be top cop. It he’s elected we will see an increase in police brutality.” After pointing out Trump’s connection with the Ku Klux Klan he added, “Salt Lake isn’t a city for the Klan, it’s our city.” He emphasized that the struggle wasn't over once Trump left the state. “We need to fight all the little Trumps in the police department, the mayor’s office and the city council.”

After the speeches, protesters took turns voicing their opposition to Trump and beating a Trump piñata. After that, the crowd began to march toward the rally venue behind the SDS banner. When the protesters reached the rally venue they faced off against Trump supporters.

Protesters chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” “Dump Trump he’s a Trump!” “Shut it down!” “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Trump and Klan go hand in hand!”

Tensions rose between protesters, Trump supporters and police about three hours after the rally took place. Near the end of the rally, a tent in front of the entrance of the venue was torn down and a line of riot police pushed protesters onto the street. In spite of this, no arrests were reported. The police attempted to disperse the protesters who chanted “Hell no! We won’t go!” and “We have a right to protest.” Trump supporters were prevented from leaving the venue for a half hour after the rally because of the protest. Although the police blocked the protesters’ path back to the City And County Building at the end of the rally, organizers took a different route without incident.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Racism #Utah #Antiracism #Antifascism #Trump

“We gather here today to demand that Mayor Jackie Bukuspski and the Salt Lake City Council replace the city’s current inept police civilian review board with a democratic, independent, Community Controlled Police Review Board,” said Michael Christensen of UAPB. “This is the beginning of a fight for a properly-funded board of paid civilians with the power to investigate and subpoena police offers for misconduct, create and amend guidelines that regulate how the police are to behave, and can take action without being influenced by the police or the district attorney’s office.”

Attendees of the rally heard from community members who’d lost loved ones to police violence. Among them was Gina Thayne, whose nephew Dylan Taylor was murdered by police in front of his two cousins – her sons.

“Cops protect and serve, but they should be protecting and serving us, not each other,” said Thayne. The officer who murdered Dylan Taylor was cleared of any wrongdoing by the DA, despite footage from the officer’s body camera showing an unarmed Taylor complying with the officers’ demands. “They [the police] stuck up for each other in every single report I read, so why should we trust them to hold each other responsible?” Thayne asked.

UAPB announced further plans to continue their campaign, including a call-in to Mayor Biskupski’s office and mass attendance to the city council meeting’s open session on March 15.

“It is not enough to protest and rally for each individual murder,” said Gregory Lucero of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “We have to build a campaign demanding a community controlled, democratically elected review board of people just like us, who can say ‘enough is enough.’”

#SaltLakeCityUtah #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #Antiracism #UtahAgainstPoliceBrutality

It's fitting his end came in Utah. Few other places have been as hostile to organized labor, or as willing to use violence to beat down laborers in their fight for basic rights. Despite the burden of an especially hostile ruling class, Utah has a long and proud history of radical worker struggle.

Like a true working-class rebel, Joe Hill keeps fighting even in death. He knew his legacy would live on to inspire millions, and he wanted it that way. Now, more than ever, we need to heed his words: “Don't waste any time in mourning. Organize!”

Union organizing in Utah

The first real union in Utah began among Mormon pioneers, newly established in Salt Lake City, at the First Annual Printers' Festival in 1852. None other than future Governor Brigham Young gave the opening prayer. This would eventually evolve into the Deseret Typographical Union.

During the Civil War years, local elites saw higher pay among workers as a drag on the economy, the same argument that gets pushed today. Unions and other labor associations pushed to keep wages up. More and more workers from outside Utah – especially miners – flooded the territory, which caused alarm among some. But in fact, unions gained more power and independence from these elites due to the influx, putting them on better footing to protect their wages.

An interesting episode happened in 1864 among theater workers. The tradition had been for theatrical labor to go unpaid, as it was considered a form of missionary service. A campaign by the Deseret Dramatic Association eventually forced Brigham Young to cave in and begin paying a wage.

The Knights of Labor began organizing coal mines in the 1880s, rapidly becoming powerful for a short time. As the struggle continued and mining became more important to the area, workers became more militant. The radical Western Federation of Miners and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) later found great success in Utah.

Historian J. Kenneth Davies called Utah at the time “an unofficial headquarters of revolutionary unionism,” a situation that would last until Joe Hill's murder. In fact, it was one of the reasons killing him was so important to the upper class. In 1897, it was widely reported that future IWW co-founder Eugene Debs had chosen Utah as a place to try to establish a socialist cooperative.

At the turn of the 20th century, direct attacks on unions became more frequent and more focused. Local capitalists considered unions an attack on freedom, despite the beatings workers took due to greedy bosses. Working in unsafe and deplorable conditions, a mineworker could only expect to make $3 a day, and even less for surface workers. Often, people looking for a job would have to pay someone as much as $20 to get hired at a mine, and then keep paying a monthly kickback.

Unsurprisingly, this led to a number of strikes. In 1903, miners in Carbon County fought for better conditions and wanted to force the Utah Fuel Company to recognize their union, the United Mine Workers of America (UMW).

Their strike was considered the most important American labor battle of the time, and the famed Mother Jones, another future co-founder of the IWW, came to Utah to support the strikers. After she met with a labor leader afflicted with smallpox, she was quarantined and held captive for 26 days to prevent her from energizing the strikers. Mother Jones nevertheless broke the quarantine several times to rally workers.

Utah Socialist Party organizer A. B. Edler became a lawyer for the miners and went to Carbon County to help. However, he was forced to leave the county after the Utah Fuel Company accused him of slander and he was convicted in a sham trial.

The strike only ended when the governor sent in the entire Utah National Guard to break it on behalf of the Utah Fuel Company. Similar strikes with an allied UMW and IWW met with more success in Bingham Canyon in 1912, leading to wage increases. By 1917, several UMW locals were organized.

Utahns played a prominent role in the founding of the IWW in 1905. The legendary “Big Bill” Haywood was born and raised in Utah. At least seven other Utahns were present at the founding convention as well, with socialist Charles Spiegel serving with the Committee on Rules.

Utah Socialist Party members played important roles in the local labor movement around this time as well, with several having positions in the Utah Federation of Labor and helping to organize workers here. Both socialist and IWW organizers put on street speeches and demonstrations, with one Wobbly, Lee Pratt, calling out, “Let the workers as a class fight the bosses as a class.”

Joe Hill's death

In 1915, the notorious murder of Joe Hill took place. Hill was an organizer with the IWW for some time, and wrote a number of famous songs like There is Power in a Union and The Preacher and the Slave. In fact, he coined the phrase “pie in the sky.” He was equally beloved by workers and reviled by bosses fearful of the good work he was doing through organizing, songwriting and inspiring laborers nationwide.

He had come to Utah in 1915 to work the Silver King mine in Park City. In November, local grocer and sheriff John Morrison and his son were shot. The same night, Joe Hill turned up in a local hospital with a bullet wound, which the doctor falsely presumed was given by Morrison in self-defense.

Despite a total lack of evidence against him, and the suppression of evidence that would have exonerated him, Hill was sentenced to die for shooting Morrison. In fact, Morrison was shot by the jealous ex-fiancé of a woman he was seeing. Joe refused to tell his real alibi, he said, because he didn't want to harm the reputation of the woman.

A nationwide campaign was mounted to set him free by labor organizers and IWW supporters, and gained support from some public officials and even President Woodrow Wilson. But it was no use. Officials in Utah wanted to see the famed singing union organizer dead, and the movement dead along with him. He was executed by firing squad on Nov. 19, 1915. As the firing squad commander called out “Ready! Aim!” Joe called out the order to fire himself. “Fire – go on and fire!”

After Joe Hill

In 1919, a nationwide red scare took its toll on Utah, but labor was able to fight back effectively on some fronts. Laws were passed banning the display of red flags, and this law was even used to prevent circulating IWW literature that used red ink. A so-called anti-sabotage law was passed in order to curb support for the IWW, but the group was still able to mount a miners’ strike that year. The Utah legislature also tried to ban the right to peacefully organize for labor unions, but the bill was defeated after workers flooded the Utah capitol building.

Nevertheless, the repression of IWW and other union organizers that followed the death of Joe Hill proved to be a huge blow to labor in Utah. Internal union conflicts weakened the movement and allowed more conservative elements to attack them. Constant arrests of labor leaders left the movement with fewer resources. Only the Culinary Alliance was able to maintain their hold on workplace power, but the rest of the labor movement was devastated as they were forced into open shops.

Despite the blow, labor continued to move forward, with communists organizing miners in Carbon County under the National Miners Union beginning in 1932. By 1933, they mounted a strike in mines near Helper, but the peaceful strike was broken only by the use of tear gas, fire hoses and calling in the National Guard on behalf of the mine owners. Women and children who helped the miners were also beaten and many were jailed. Local officials were also able to make use of division between the United Mine Workers of America and National Miners Union miners, undermining the long-term strength of the labor movement in Carbon County before the strike even began. Still, some of their demands were met.

Where we are now

Before he died, Joe Hill humorously wrote to “Big Bill” Haywood asking him to take his body and bury it elsewhere, saying, “I don't want to be found dead in Utah.” It's a sentiment Bill would have understood, having left Utah himself.

Joe Hill's memory was recently tarnished again in Utah, when reactionary anti-union vandals painted over a beautiful Joe Hill memorial. In July of this year, local members of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees ) painted a mural of Joe on the side of the union hall, using union money given to them for that purpose. Several days later, vandals painted over the union solidarity mural, replacing it with a poorly done American flag.

Though they may have tried, in a sense, to kill Joe Hill again, the reality is he can't be killed, and he isn't dead in Utah – he is alive and well, in every labor dispute, at every union drive, in every workplace where laborers are exploited and abused. We are the inheritors of his message not to mourn, but to organize, and we can keep him alive by fighting the way he did, as a true rebel worker.

#SaltLakeCityUT #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #history #Strikes #JoeHill #Socialism

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.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #AntiRacism #Utah

The Utah Anti-War Committee organized the event in solidarity with Palestine. Alyssa Ferris spoke about the great injustice of the Nakba. “People have been forced off their land, out of their homes and are treated like second-class citizens.” She pointed out that the repression extends beyond the borders of Palestine, stating long time Palestinian American leader “Rasmea Odeh has faced political repression by the U.S. government for her community organizing and Palestinian solidarity.”

Ferris then led people through various chants including, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Free, free, Palestine,” and “Viva, viva Palestina.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #alNakba #Utah #MiddleEast

Salt Lake City, UT – Protesters came together in Salt Lake City, March 12, just hours after Rasmea Odeh walked out of a courtroom in Detroit and greeted 200 cheering supporters. Odeh is out on bond pending the appeal of her conviction for an immigration fraud charge. Odeh’s sentence of 18 months in prison and deportation was put on hold.

Alyssa Ferris of the Utah Anti-War Committee read from a statement by Angela Davis, the well-known African American professor and former political prisoner, “Rasmea Odeh has been a naturalized U. S. citizen for over ten years. What is her crime? Her arrest and prosecution are politically motivated and are clearly designed to disrupt the Palestine human rights community.” Ferris went on to condemn the sentencing of Odeh to 18 months in prison.

Speaking about the unfair nature of the trail, Ferris said, “Judge Drain called Rasmea a terrorist and liar, but refused to let her even speak in her own defense. She was gagged even in speaking the truth of her horrible torture by the hands of the Israeli military.”

The crowd finished the rally chanting “From SLC to Palestine, solidarity is no crime.” The Utah Anti-war Committee called for the protest following the unjust conviction of Odeh last fall. The campaign to overturn the conviction is just beginning and organizers are planning to mobilize support for Odeh’s appeal process in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they hope for a new trial.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #RasmeaOdeh

Salt Lake City, UT—The streets of Salt Lake City become yet another site of struggle for Palestinian freedom. Over 200 people rallied at the Wallace Bennett Federal Building to denounce Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza. The message was loud and clear: the Israeli occupation of Palestine must end.

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, a belligerent bombing campaign of the Gaza strip, which has now claimed the lives of over 200 Palestinians. The U.S. continues to assert Israel’s right to defend itself, while going so far as to blame Palestinian deaths on Hamas. The U.S. spends $3.1 billion on Israel every year, much of it military aid.

Speaking at the rally was Gregory Lucero, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization: “Israel says it wants peace, but the Israeli Defense Forces continue to occupy Palestinian land and demolish homes for new settlements. What kind of peace does Israel really want?”

Organizers of the rally passed out information on the Sept. 8 trial in Detroit, Michigan of longtime Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Odeh was tortured and imprisoned by the Israeli military in 1969. Now the U.S. government is putting her on trial, 20 years after she came to the U.S. and 10 years after she was granted citizenship.

Lucero said, “The oppression of Palestinians happens right here in the U.S. everyday. People can take concrete actions to defend Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a hero to many. Anybody can visit www.stopFBI.net and learn more about the outrageous charges Rasmea Odeh faces.”

The crowd of 200 marched through the streets of downtown Salt Lake City, carrying signs and Palestinian flags. Voices filled the air with chants of “Shame on Israel,” and “Free Palestine!”

Organizer Sarah Simmons of the SLCC Revolutionary Students Union vows to continue the struggle in Salt Lake City for the Palestinian cause and in defense of Rasmea Odeh.

#SaltLakeCityUtah #SaltLakeCityUT #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #IsraelsOccupationOfPalestinianTerritories #Utah #RasmeaOdeh #MiddleEast

Sethunya entered the courtroom with a new lawyer and rows of supporters. This time Judge William Nixon, who previously tried to throw out her case, granted a continuance.

Sethunya is engaged in a years-long legal battle with the complicated and corrupt U.S. immigration system. She is trying to show that she never broke any immigration rules and does not deserve deportation.

“This is a woman who is having to suffer the consequences of a clerical error, all after she fled violence in her home country,” said Henia Belalia of the group Peaceful Uprising.

Sethunya said she left Lesotho and came to the U.S. due to abuse and violence at the hands of her ex-husband. She studied English and chemistry at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. She maintained a good GPA and attended classes uninterrupted, but everything changed in 2006.

“I was told by Weber State that I had lost my immigration status due to what they called a computer error,” Sethunya said. “At some point they changed the story from a computer error to a clerical mis-accounting.”

Then Sethunya’s enrollment was revoked and her F1 foreign student immigration status lapsed. She was thrust into the court system, from which she has yet to escape. Nevertheless, Sethunya re-enrolled in school and earned a Master's degree in 2007.

Tragically, deportation threatens Sethunya with separation from her teenage daughter and her nephew, who she adopted as her son when her sister died. If deported back to Lesotho, she may have to face her violent ex-husband.

After appeals, lawsuits to correct the error, petitioning politicians and organizing supporters, Sethunya finally caught a break this year. A court said her appeal had merit and ordered Judge Nixon to hear her case again. She has until late May to produce an application for asylum.

“One big problem we have is that the law says you have to file [for asylum] within a year of arriving in the States, unless there are some extraordinary circumstances,” said attorney Mark Williams, who represents Sethunya.

Proving those extraordinary circumstances was impossible because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confiscated her passport, leaving Sethunya without identification and unable to obtain any other form of identification. Without that, she had no access to the evidence held by her now-disbarred former lawyer. Her current attorney Mark Williams said the system was forcing her to “go around in circles.”

However, a supporter from a local police agency convinced ICE agents to return her passport. Sethunya can now gather the evidence needed to apply for asylum and remain connected to her children in Utah.

Along with the Revolutionary Student Union, the Salt Lake Dream Team, a student group fighting for immigrant rights, came out to support Sethunya after she told them her story. Dream Team Vice President Itza Hernandez said, “It is important to show solidarity with everyone who is undocumented and faces deportation. We want to make sure the Obama administration keeps its word. We are holding people accountable when they've made certain promises to our community.”

#SaltLakeCityUtah #SaltLakeCityUT #Utah #Immigration