Protesters involved in a demonstration that turned violent in downtown Salt Lake City earlier this week sought to offer their side of the story at a news conference on Thursday: one that blames overly aggressive police.
Amid calls from state and city leaders for civility and elevated discourse — and after Utah Gov. Gary Herbert decried the protests as “borderline terrorism,” noting that some protesters self-identify as anarchists — the individuals who were involved pointed to police actions as the source of escalated tensions.
“We were not prepared for the massive amounts of police brutality placed on our protesters,” a local community organizer who identified himself only as Anco told reporters during a 45-minute news conference at the Sierra Club’s offices downtown.