Small, opposing protests face off outside Utah Capitol

An Insurgence USA protester, bottom right, films and shouts at Utah Citizens’ Alarm members at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. Tensions flared at times as the two small, opposing groups faced off. Insurgence USA came to the Capitol to demonstrate for equal rights and treatment for African Americans in the country, and to advocate for the safe exercise of First Amendment rights of free speech. They were met by armed counterprotesters from Utah Citizens’ Alarm, a group that formed after a protester fired a gun at a driver in Provo at the end of June. The group, which has several thousand supporters online, says it is concerned about violence erupting at protests. Prior to the event, organizers of the Insurgence USA free speech demonstration posted a statement online decrying armed citizen groups “that have been appearing at a frightening rate across the nation” to intimidate protesters.

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