Salt Lake City protests Rittenhouse verdict
Salt Lake City, UT – Over 100 people gathered at the downtown Salt Lake Public Library, November 21, to protest the acquittal on all charges of far-right murderer Kyle Rittenhouse. This unjust acquittal stands as a stark reminder that the justice system of the United States is working just as it has been designed to, from its very inception. This ruling makes clear the mission of police and courts in justifying racist murder and terror on Black communities and all those who fight for justice against systems of oppression.
This emergency event, which came together through the combined efforts of a number of local activist groups, emphasized the need to keep fighting and organizing against racist, capitalist systems. Tying the recent verdict into the larger structures that it serves, Ermiya Fanaeian, representing Armed Queers, stated, “We need to abolish the system that was created to allow for this to happen.” Fanaeian continued “the system cannot be fixed, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Nick Godfrey, a local activist and organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “Through solidarity and through organizing, we can gain power, we can stay ahead of these racist murderers.”
The persistent theme throughout each of the speeches was the inherent flaws present in this U.S. system, as well as the need for working-class and oppressed peoples to organize together to win victories that will never be bestowed by the ruling capitalist class. Drawing a line of continuity between the Rittenhouse acquittal and the history of this country, Deja Gatson, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said, “The U.S. capitalist ruling class has long relied on fascist, white supremacist, paramilitary violence at crucial moments to stabilize their system.”
This event saw participation from Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Black Lives Matter Utah, Utah Against Police Brutality, Salt Lake Equal Rights Movement, Armed Queers, and the Red Hive Collective.