What had been a peaceful pro-Palestine rally at the University of Utah ended 8 hours later when officers in riot gear confronted students — knocking them down with shields, dragging some off by their arms or feet, and ripping their tents from the ground.
The demonstrators who had come together Monday continued to chant as police moved into their encampment: “We will not stop. We will not rest.”
As they were detained or dispersed, the shouts grew quieter. Just before midnight, eight hours after the rally started and one hour into the clash with law enforcement, it was over.
More than 100 officers from agencies across Salt Lake County stood at the edge of the cleared campus, forming a line of black helmets and vests in front of the welcome sign for the state’s flagship university.
It was an unprecedented show of force in recent memory for any campus rally in Utah.
The school’s department of public safety said 19 protesters were arrested including four students and one university employee. One student lay face down on the asphalt of University Street, his wrists zip-tied tight behind his back. An officer told him, “Don’t resist.” The police told students several times that it was an “unlawful assembly” and instructed them to leave — or face “reasonable force” and “criminal consequences.”
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By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.