16 arrested as protesters fight homeless removal in Salt Lake City
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (KSL) — Sixteen people were arrested overnight after police moved to clear campers from Washington Square in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake City Police Department tweeted just before 11 p.m. that it was on the scene “in an attempt to enforce the park curfew.” Police closed off State Street and 500 South around the park for several hours.
In video taken from the scene, police holding shields and wearing riot gear can be seen clashing with protesters and activists who came to support the homeless population in the park.
Salt Lake police tweeted that while they respect “the rights of those who want to protest in a safe, peaceful manner,” some protesters “continue to participate in causes that put them in direct confrontation with police in hopes of instigating an encounter that fits their narrative.
“This puts officers in dangerous situations as well,” they wrote.
Mike Sanchez, an activist at the scene, said that he and others have been providing food and clothing to the homeless at the park.
“We’re just trying to do our part right here to make their environment a little bit better for these unsheltered folks with nowhere to go,” Sanchez said. “Our ultimate goal is to get some housing for them.”
The protesters claim there are no beds available at the new homeless resource centers around the city.
“We’ve been set up here for a couple days,” one protester said. “It’s been peaceful. We’ve been cleaning up the garbage, we’ve been taking care of everything. There hasn’t been any crime. There’s just no need for a police presence like this.”
Police tweeted they had secured the area just after 2 a.m. Sunday. They wrote they had “shown great restraint” in dealing with the protesters.
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