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SOUTH SALT LAKE — One of the alleged organizers of the protests at Presidents Circle on the University of Utah campus who was arrested Tuesday, prompting the protesters to move to the Salt Lake County Jail, has been released.
The 22-year-old man was booked into jail Tuesday evening for investigation of misdemeanor crimes of trespassing at an institution of higher learning, disorderly conduct, failing to disperse and interfering with an arresting officer. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, his name no longer appears on the jail inmate roster.
According to a police booking affidavit written by U. police, the man is "with a campus group at the University of Utah" that, over the last several months, has been involved with "several protests that have turned violent."
Police say this man and his group organized Monday's protest at the university that resulted in the arrest of 19 people.
"(He) was observed at this protest rallying up the crowd," the affidavit states, "A verbal warning was given that the event had become an unlawful assembly and the crowd needed to disburse. Not only did (he) and the crowd not disperse, they got louder."
The man was not arrested on Monday. Police say he returned to campus on Tuesday to begin a second night of protesting. The protest started with chanting and talks rooting for Palestine in the Gaza war about 6 p.m. but, not long after the protest started, he was taken into custody.
Police say when officers approached him and advised him they were there to arrest him, "(the man) did not submit to custody but instead attempted to pull away and get back to the crowd that had gathered at the university. (He) began to yell for help towards the crowd to get others to engage with officers to facilitate his escape," the affidavit states.
After he was taken into custody, protesters relocated to outside the jail where they chanted, "Let him go." By 8:30 p.m., one of the other organizers told the crowd the man would be released, but the process would take a few more hours. By 9:15 p.m., only about 30 or the estimated 200 protesters remained at the jail.
One person at Tuesday's protest said the man is a member of Mecha de U of U.
According to police, "(He) had been active on social media attempting organize daily protests at the University of Utah," the affidavit states. "(He) identifies himself as an organizer for an organization known as Mecha which describes themselves as an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial socialist student organization at the University of Utah. (He) and Mecha have demanded that the administration of the University of Utah disclose and divest itself of all connections and investments in Israel as a sign of protest of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas," police stated in their affidavit.
Police say when the demands of Mecha were not met, "(The man) and several associates began setting up an encampment on the lawn in Presidents Circle, and brought in supplies including food and water demonstrating an intent to remain," according to the affidavit. "During this effort, (he) was heard ordering people to remain noncompliant, and declared that he and Mecha will never stop until their demands are met, or words to that effect."
According to court records, the man is already facing charges of disrupting a meeting, a class B misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, an infraction, for an alleged incident on Nov. 28 at the Marriott Library, 295 S. 1500 East. A pre-trial conference in that case is scheduled for next week.
