No Guns at Protests.
On June 14, an estimated 18,000 people gathered in Salt Lake City for a “No Kings” protest, one of many coordinated demonstrations opposing the Trump administration's authoritarianism. There was a large police presence and active surveillance, and the protest organizers coordinated with law enforcement.
During the march, a protester named Arturo Gamboa, 24, was allegedly observed by two designated protest security volunteers separating from the crowd, moving behind a wall, and pulling out a rifle. Utah is an open-carry state, and there’s no indication he broke any laws or made any violent threats. According to reports, Gamboa was marching in solidarity with the anti-fascist protestors. An armed volunteer "peacekeeper" from the 50-50-1 protest security team (a group made up of self-described veterans and first responders) confronted him and fired three shots. Gamboa was wounded. One of the bullets struck and killed Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a bystander, father of two, and fashion designer. Gamboa, who didn’t fire his weapon, was arrested on suspicion of murder. What a fucking mess.
Bringing guns to a large-scale protest, even with good intentions, is not protective. In chaotic environments, the line between perception and threat gets blurry fast. One person’s idea of “preparedness” becomes another’s rationalization for lethal force. The podcast It Could Happen Here did a great job breaking this down: the person with the AR shouldn’t have brought a gun to a peaceful march. The "peacekeeper" who opened fire shouldn't have brought a gun to a peaceful march. The systems that encouraged them to be armed failed everyone.
Large protests like the No Kings marches happening around the country function to demonstrate our solidarity, camaraderie, and alignment. They are places to learn, connect, and reflect. These are accessible, intergenerational events whose function is to build trust and unity: to show that the future belongs to the people. They must be safe. Security is not vengeance. The big protest is not a battleground, not a place to prove warriors. It is a place for signs, not guns.