Thousands rally in downtown Salt Lake City for ‘ICE OUT’ protest, march to USCIS building

SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Salt Lake City Friday afternoon for an “ICE OUT” demonstration that organizers said was part of a nationwide blackout calling attention to immigration enforcement and its impact on families and communities.

The protest began at Washington Square outside the Salt Lake City Building, where demonstrators filled the park, sidewalks and surrounding streets waving flags, holding signs and chanting. The crowd included families, older Utahns, young adults and a large student presence.

Earlier in the day, high school students held their own protest at the Utah State Capitol before many later joined the larger downtown demonstration.

One of those walkouts was organized by 10th grader Liam Hall, a student at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education. Hall told KSL’s Heather Peterson that immigration is a defining issue for his generation.

“We have a world that’s acting, and everybody should act and protest and do anything that you think will help,” Hall said.

Students walked nearly three miles to the Capitol as part of the demonstration. Parent Lori Mead, who supervised the walkout, said she wanted to ensure students could safely exercise their First Amendment rights.

“I’m strictly here just to make sure they have a safe environment to practice their First Amendment rights so they can look back on this moment and have it be a positive memory for them,” Mead said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As the afternoon continued, protesters marched from Washington Square to the nearby U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building, where they rallied outside the federal office before eventually returning to Washington Square as the event began to wind down.

Several downtown businesses also showed support by shutting down or pausing operations during the protest, stating immigration issues affect their workers, customers and the broader community.

Among them was Synth and Soul Record Shop, owned by Ryan Condrick, who said his decision to close during the protest was about standing in solidarity and emphasizing dignity and due process.

“I think we all do in our hearts believe that individuals deserve dignity, respect, whether or not they are documented or undocumented,” Condrick said. “It should be due process of law if you don’t agree with undocumented immigrants being in the country.”

The Salt Lake City School District said the student walkouts were not school-sponsored and that participating students would be marked absent, but the district added it supports students’ rights to express themselves safely and respectfully.

Organizers said the demonstrations remained peaceful throughout the afternoon and described the protest as part of ongoing efforts to keep immigration issues at the forefront of public discussion.

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