SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly a dozen people who were charged in a violent protest over the Inland Port in July made their initial appearances in court Tuesday.

One defendant in the hearing spoke out following court.

“These charges are a blatant act of political repression,” said Kaden Fralick. “The Inland Port harms our community, and we as defendants are members of this community. These charges need to be dropped now.”

District Attorney Sim Gill advocated First Amendment rights, but he said the Bill of Rights has its limits.

“I encourage in our participatory democracy for our people to go out on the streets and let their voice be heard,” he said. “I think that is the hallmark and benchmark of our constitutional framework and our participatory democracy — but the First Amendment is not a license to violate the law.”

Each defendant listed in the court document was represented by the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.

The counts listed against most of them include rioting, a third degree felony; propelling bodily substance, a class A misdemeanor; and criminal trespassing, a class B misdemeanor.

Related:

14 charged after violent inland port protest left building in disarray, dirtied with feces

Fourteen people have been charged in connection with a violent July 9 protest over Utah’s controversial inland port that left the Utah State Chamber of Commerce building in disarray and dirtied with feces, officials said.

According to court documents, it cost $7,000 to clean up the Chamber of Commerce building following the protest.

The defendants are scheduled for their next court appearance on Feb. 7, 2020.

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