St. George saw its own gathering, with hundreds of protesters gathering in Vernon Worthen Park to engage in an afternoon of live music renditions, speeches and street side demonstrations.
In a showing of distaste for the Trump presidency, millions of Americans nationwide gathered in their respective cities March 28 in a day of protest.
Attendees held signs all throughout the park, most of which focused on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deportation.
Amidst the increased presence of ICE around the nation, the No Kings organization has stated on their website: “President Trump has doubled down. His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants.”
Deportation was a major motivator for many attendees to attend. One in particular is Jorge Pineda, secretary of the Washington County Democrats and co-founder of Manos Amigas Utah.
Pineda expressed the importance of the protest to him, saying: “My father was deported in July by ICE. No Kings is just as much ‘no ICE’ as it is ‘no billionaires.’”
Other attendees shared similar empathy for undocumented immigrants as Pineda. “I graduated [high school] with 60% of my graduating class being here undocumented,” said Crystal Hanza, a Utah Tech University senior psychology major from Orange County, California. “Their families impacted my life in such a positive way… that’s who I’m fighting for today.”
During the event, there were organized chants that opposed the current administration, as well as some calling for unity. One chant that lasted throughout the entire gathering was, “No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
The organizer of the event was TogetherWorks, who describe themselves as a “nonprofit made up of people from Southern Utah who believe democracy should listen to all of us.”
Outside of organizing speakers and organizations in attendance, TogetherWorks also supplied water, Liquid I.V. and snacks to everybody in attendance.
Even with the goal of giving people the opportunity to utilize their First Amendment rights, organizers prioritized safety.
“Each time we organize a rally or protest, we coordinate with the St. George Police Department to maximize safety,” said Jillyn Stevens, founder and treasurer of TogetherWorks. “We have a large safety team trained in de-escalation and crowd management techniques, as well as a first aid station with medical professionals to address minor health issues.”
Speakers at the event spoke on a variety of topics. One speaker was a member of the leadership team at the League of Women Voters, Washington County branch, Rebecca Winsor.
“This is a country of the people, by the people and for the people,” she said. “When our elected representatives are behaving in ways contrary to the will of the people, it becomes the people’s duty and responsibility to remind them they serve at the behest and pleasure of the people.”
Amidst the protesting, TogetherWorks Chair Lysa McCaroll made one thing clear: “I would like to see us get away from the polarization in our society, the fear of ‘the other.’ We all care about the same things: healthcare, housing, education, the economy. We might have different ideas on how we achieve these goals, but that’s OK. What isn’t OK is believing only some people are entitled to a decent life.”
