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Home News 2020 Election Protesters eye bigger issues than Pence and Harris
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  • 2020 Election
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Protesters eye bigger issues than Pence and Harris

By
Tyler Bearss
-
October 13, 2020
0
James wears blue Burgess Owens t-shirt and red MAGA hat
James Sullivan leads a group of Trump supporters through the streets of Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. Several demonstrations coincided with the vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris. (Jared Stanger)

People of all ages filled the streets in front of the University of Utah on Oct. 7, but they were not there to watch the vice presidential debate.

For these protesters, getting their message across while in the national spotlight was far more important than what was happening at Kingsbury Hall.

Protesters from multiple groups like Students for a Democratic Society, Pro-life Utah, and Utah’s Armenian Community filled the streets with banners, megaphones, and other accessories. At times, the atmosphere felt more like a scene from prison, with intersections full of riot police, 12-foot-high fences, and what seemed like endless yelling.

More: Pence, Harris trade barbs during vice presidential debate

Except for a few mild skirmishes between protesters, the protests remained peaceful, but the Salt Lake City Police Department and other accompanying agencies were not taking any chances. Armed in riot gear and carrying shotguns loaded with rubber bullets, dozens of police officers lined the streets and, at one point, completely shut down the intersection of 1300 E. and 200 S.

“Them [the police] being here makes tension squeeze tighter and tighter and tighter. They have all this riot gear and guns, and do you see us out here like that? No!” said Devonte, who did not provide his last name. “It’s all about Black lives mattering every single day and that not being negotiable.”

The police weren’t the only ones forming a line between the two main groups of protesters. Dozens of members from the Proud Boys Salt Lake City chapter could be seen linking arms, forming a wall and, at times, attempting to break up any arguments that seemed to become heated.

“We [the Proud Boys] are trying to keep the peace between both groups. I think the media is stirring the racial tensions in this country. Yes, there are things that need to change throughout the system, and I get that. I also understand their [Black Lives Matter] point of view because, yes, they do get profiled here in Salt Lake,” said Seth, the chapter’s president, who did not provide his last name.

Since the start of this pandemic, COVID-19 has always presented a threat. Yet, many times throughout the night, the scene on the streets looked like a screaming match between mask wearers and non-wearers. It became obvious that this pandemic was not a concern for a large number of attendees.

“You sound like an eighth-grade bully!” exclaimed Thurm Wisen as another protester taunted him for his use of a mask. “I just don’t want to get coronavirus, I’m only 18,” Wisen later commented.

Although masks were not one of the focuses of the protest, comments on the use or disuse of a mask could be heard throughout the crowd on multiple occasions.

Protesters converge on Salt Lake City during vice presidential debate
1 of 33
Orange construction barriers and trucks
UDOT trucks block the streets surrounding the adjacent Monaco Hotel, where Vice President Pence stayed during his visit to Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. Pence participated in the vice presidential debate at Kingsbury Hall. (Jared Stanger)
People social distance in credentials line
Attendees wait in line to receive their credentials for the vice presidential debate Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Jared Stanger)
University of Utah debate banners
Large banners hanging outside Rice-Eccles Stadium tout the vice presidential debate occurring at Kingsbury Hall on Oct. 7. (Jared Stanger)
Two signs in front of Rice-Eccles Stadium
Various signs direct attendees to coronavirus testing and credential pickup areas before the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7. (Jared Stanger)
Devonte holds blue Biden-Harris sign
Devonte P. proudly displays his support for the Biden-Harris campaign before the Harris motorcade drove by on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Jared Stanger)
James wears blue Burgess Owens t-shirt and red MAGA hat
James Sullivan leads a group of Trump supporters through the streets of Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. Several demonstrations coincided with the vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris. (Jared Stanger)
Trump supporters walking
A unnamed supporter of the Proud Boys, right, flashes the White Power sign while following other demonstrators outside the vice presidential debate Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Jared Stanger)
Kamala Harris waving inside a limousine
Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris waves at supporters before she enters the University of Utah for the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7. (Jared Stanger)
Man talks and wears sunglasses on back of his head
A man, who declined to give his name to The Globe, shouts at Black Lives Matter movement supporters on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. He said, in part: "You don't actually support Black lives because you support abortion. What about the Black babies?" (Jared Stanger)
Carl Moore wears Black Lives Matter mask
Civil rights activist Carl Moore argues with President Trump supporters outside the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. Moore said, in part: "It's simple, morality over legality." (Jared Stanger)
Trump supporters carry Trump flags on their shoulders
Two Trump supporters walk away from the growing conflict in Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. Trump supporters and opponents converged outside the vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris. (Jared Stanger)
Semira X uses a microphone to speak in the darkness
Semira X of the Salt Lake Equal Rights Movement leads chants while surrounded by antagonists in the late evening Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. The demonstrations coincided with the vice presidential debate held at Kingsbury Hall. (Jared Stanger)
Signs read "211,000 and counting, shame on you" and "Grab him by the ballot"
Two demonstrators carry signs in protest of President Donald Trump on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. Trump opponents and supporters confronted each other as Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris debated inside Kingsbury Hall. (Jared Stanger)
Trump supporter walks down a street at night
A Trump supporter leaves the protests after attempting to intimidate Biden supporters on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Jared Stanger)
Debate security
Police officers from several agencies stand guard near the fence lining the vice presidential debate at Kingsbury Hall on Oct. 7. (Jared Stanger)
Police fence in front of Presidents Circle
A police fence, with signs posted, protects Presidents Circle before the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah. (Autumn Lucas)
Blue Trump flag waves
A Trump flag waves as supporters wait for Vice President Mike Pence's motorcade to pass by on 100 S. in Salt Lake City. Pence was in town to debate Sen. Kamala Harris at Kingsbury Hall. (Autumn Lucas)
Signs read "Make America Kind Again" and "We Heart U Kamala"
Biden-Harris supporters gather across the road from Trump supporters at the corner of 100 S. and University St. before the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris on Oct. 7. (Autumn Lucas)
Trump-Tator looks ahead
The "Trump-Tator" stands out among a crowd of Trump supporters before Vice President Mike Pence's motorcade passes by ahead of the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Protester carries flags on her shoulders
A Trump supporter carries a Trump flag and an Armenian flag as she walks north down University St. on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Students gather on a balcony
A group of University of Utah students hold signs and chant at protesters below on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Signs read "True peace is not the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice" and "We did not come here to fear the future. We came here to shape it."
Abigail and Alyssa, two demonstrators from Salt Lake City, hold signs on University St. outside the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7. (Autumn Lucas)
Several police officers standing guard
Police gather at the corner of 100 S. and University St. to protect the vice presidential debate and its participants on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Kieran Lucas)
Multiple agencies on scene
Secret Service, police, and other officials gather behind Kingsbury Hall before the start of the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Kieran Lucas)
Trump supporter argues with Black Lives Matter supporter in crowd
Two protesters engage in a heated interaction over the Black Lives Matter movement outside the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Homemade sign next to Biden-Harris sign
Protesters hold signs, flags, and phones above the crowd gathered near Presidents Circle on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Sign reads "Pence hates puppies!"
A protester carries a homemade sign opposing Vice President Mike Pence outside the fence guarding Presidents Circle on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. Pence was in town to debate Sen. Kamala Harris at Kingsbury Hall. (Autumn Lucas)
Black protester wears rainbow-colored mask
A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter sign and chants in front of a line of police armed with riot gear outside the site of the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Homemade sign reads "Mike Pence Skis in Jeans"
Protesters gather outside the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Whiteboard reads "February? Trump will be gone Bi'den!"
A group of students supporting the Biden campaign walk west on 200 S. on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Line of protesters
A line of protestors moves north on 1300 S. as they approach a group of police officers on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. Several groups converged on downtown Salt Lake in response to the vice presidential debate held at the University of Utah. (Autumn Lucas)
Kingsbury Hall decorated and lit up for debate night
The University of Utah welcomed Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris for the only vice presidential debate of 2020 on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. (Autumn Lucas)
Trump supporters in front of city skyline
A group of Trump supporters gather at the intersection of 1300 E. 200 S. on the night of the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City. (Kieran Lucas)
  • TAGS
  • Black Lives Matter
  • photo gallery
  • politics
  • protest
  • Proud Boys
  • Salt Lake City
  • Salt Lake City Police Department
  • Thurm Wisen
  • University of Utah
  • vice presidential debate
Tyler Bearss

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