Roughly 80 protestors gathered Jan. 30 to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They assembled outside the Municipal building in Ogden at noon, with protestors on either side of the street. Some stood in the gutter waving signs and cheering as cars drove past honking. Others hung back, observing or protesting from the sidewalk. Many drivers stuck out their phones to record and honked repeatedly as they drove past. Some could be seen smiling as they drove away.
The protestors chanted “ICE out,” and “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.” Along with the chanting, music could be heard from the gathering. One song played was “In the Streets of Minneapolis” by Bruce Springsteen. One woman wore a face covering and sunglasses, similar to the attire of ICE agents. Some people also wore face masks, but most did not. One man who wore a face mask said he was a federal agent himself and thus did not want his identity shared, but that he hoped change would come from the protest.
“I’m really happy to see the turn out,” protestor Angela Chobeka said. She said she was expecting less participation given the other protests the day before. She said she wanted the people of Ogden to know that they had support and make sure immigrants felt safe. With her was Kim James, both women are running for the Utah House of Representatives in the next cycle.
“People are concerned about the authoritarian overreach of our government and the lack of safety for citizens and immigrants of our country,” James said, “ We want to express our dismay and our displeasure with the way the Department of Homeland Security is treating people.”
Both of these protestors commented on the wide array of ages attending the protest. They noted children as young as 6, as well as elderly protestors. Even a few dogs were in attendance.
Among the flags for the U.S. and other countries, were several signs held by protesters. They read “Elected Republicans end this now!”, “We the people demand justice and equality for all” and “Hate does not make America great!”, among many others.
There was little police activity during the protest, though at least two officers did walk past, and protestors did not march, but stayed outside of the Municipal building.
One protester who referred to himself as “Puffin” did not hold a sign rather sat to the side painting a storm. Another stood in the cement median of the road and appeared to be reading something from his phone into a megaphone, though it was difficult to hear him over the traffic.
Two other gatherings, the Indivisible Ogden Rally and ICE watch training, were said to be held later that day. Some protesters said they planned to attend these meetings as well.
