Before the shots rang out, nonviolence and unity defined ‘No Kings’ protest

For more than two hours, 10,000 protesters coalesced in their anger against President Donald Trump and his policies to march peacefully through scorching Salt Lake City streets Saturday.

They had cheered organizers’ urging for nonviolence and reveled in moments of unity as they walked, from appreciative honks from waiting cars to church bells ringing out for them as they passed St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral.

Just before 8 p.m., gunshots sounded, sending the crowd scrambling. Police confirmed Sunday that an individual who they said was “possibly part of the event’s peacekeeping team” had spotted a man with a rifle approaching the marchers, and fired. That man, identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, sustained a minor gunshot wound and was later arrested and booked into jail for investigation of murder.

An innocent bystander walking in the protest, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was also shot. He died of his injuries Saturday night.

A long list of questions remains.

But up until that moment, the message of the event had been the same as protests happening in cities large and small around the country, part of a nationwide declaration of defiance of Trump coinciding with a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. marking the Army’s 250th anniversary, a date that was also the president’s 79th birthday.

The Salt Lake City demonstration was the last and largest of 11 planned protests across the state Saturday, including a demonstration that drew thousands more to the University of Utah that morning. 

Speaking to reporters on a dark Salt Lake City street about two hours after the shooting, the city’s police chief and mayor both praised the protesters for exercising their rights peacefully and without incident.

“We had thousands of people come out today, not only in Salt Lake City, but in protests around the state, protests around this nation, and they were, by and large, peaceful demonstrations,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “We are a nation that needs our First Amendment right. We deserve to be able to protest in peace. And what happened today, I hope, will not silence the voices of the public who deserve to have their voices heard.”

Protesters’ chants included “This is what democracy looks like,” “Trump is a felon,” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” 

There were also some unflattering shoutouts to elected Utah officials including Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Celeste Maloy, Gov. Spencer Cox and state Rep. Trevor Lee.

Despite Utah’s unquestioned status as a red haven, with Republicans consistently holding the governor’s office, all of the state’s congressional seats and a supermajority in the Legislature, Utahns who disagree with Trump’s politics have been making their voices heard in growing numbers since the president began his second term, including earlier in the week.

Some protesters, like Ogden sisters Kimberly and Heidi Cruzatt, marched on behalf of those concerned about demonstrating publicly. They wore scrubs, a symbol of their Peruvian parents’ work as CNAs. 

“I believe it’s not safe for them, and they have a family at home to take care of, so I don’t want to risk them any harm being here,” said Heidi Cruzatt.

Kimberly Cruzatt carried a poster styled after the broadway hit “Hamilton” logo, including the line “Immigrants, we get the job done.”

“It’s about Alexander Hamilton, but since he’s an immigrant, he’s decided, ‘OK, I think everybody who has come from different countries has collaborated in the community,’” she explained. 

Not far from the sisters was Rachel Blackmer, of Taylorsville, who teaches English to adult immigrants and trains foster parents to care for refugee teenagers. In the center of the sign she carried above her head, Blackmer drew a heart with words “Protect the immigrants I love” inside, and dozens of names of her students appearing around it.

“Everyone I care about is being threatened right now. My students tell me about how scared they are, and they carry their ID with them, but that isn’t even good enough. They’re still scared, and I’m really excited to show them my sign and show them their names on it and why I’m here,” Blackmer said. 

Looking at the sea of people around her, Blackmer said she hopes the scale of the recent protests will spur change, comparing it to the height of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

“I’m really hoping that our country will respond even more than they did back then, this will be even bigger, and more people will respond,” she said.

Why protest? “They work,” she said.