Armed protesters begin to show up at the Utah Capitol

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12:30 p.m. • About 15 anti-government protesters arrived on the grounds of the Utah Capitol.

Meanwhile, National Guard forces, along with dozens of other law enforcement agencies, are on standby in case the rally turns violent. State soldiers line the steps of the Statehouse.

The south side of the Capitol is open all along the steps leading to the south entrance. The rest of the land is cut. Police take a dog to sniff the area.

A group of wood Boogaloo hosts the “We are not the enemy” rally. The permit for the event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organizer Tyson Reese said the event will remain peaceful. He said it was not a pro-Donald Trump event and rather was meant to be a “morale booster” for citizens angry with their government.

Some armed demonstrators who arrived around 11 am did not identify themselves, claiming instead that they were “Bois de la Liberté”. They said the event was going to be peaceful and the police response was a “joke” and a waste of government funds because nothing will happen.

Law enforcement has promised that the Utah Capitol, which is closed to the public by the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, will not be exceeded. Reese said no one would try to break through the Capitol during this armed rally.
Still, Governor Spencer Cox has declared a state of emergency, so authorities can act quickly if things get out of hand.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) National Guard troops at the Salt Lake City State Capitol on Sunday, January 17, 2021.

The Salt Lake Tribune will update this story.

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