Salt Lake Begins Process To Clean Up, Assess Damage From Protest

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Cleanup efforts were underway at multiple locations in downtown Salt Lake City after protests boiled over to violence, vandalism and looting.

Protests began peaceful Saturday before noon, with thousands of people gathering in their cars or on foot near the Salt Lake City Public Safety Building.

After nearly 12 hours and the dispersion of people, graffiti, smashed windows and the remains of two burned vehicles littered downtown.

The Public Safety Building, Utah State Capitol Building, multiple TRAX stations and other public buildings were damaged.

Looters smashed windows at a 7-Eleven and the City Creek Center shopping area.

WARNING: Some profanity in the graffiti in this video. https://t.co/MX7MUaI6r3

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) May 31, 2020

This is what clean-up efforts look like in downtown. *Reminder- City leaders thank the outpouring of support and those wanting to help but ask that everyone stay home. Curfew remains in effect. @KSL5TV @slcpd pic.twitter.com/NAla0JTlvh

— Garna Mejia KSL (@GarnaMejiaKSL) May 31, 2020

Public works crews began around midnight to clean debris, graffiti and the remains of smashed windows.

“Our city employees are in the process of assessing all the infrastructure damage and they’ve already begun some of the recovery efforts,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a Sunday morning press conference. “Our street sweepers have been out this morning, and the streets are looking pretty good.”

Mendenhall said several residents and other mayors have asked how they can help with the cleanup.

“We even saw this morning, a pretty large pile of yard trash bags that have been filled, tied up and left outside (the Salt Lake) City and County Building, where people came out and did some cleanup on the on their own,” she said.

The city hoped to have information later in the day, and would like people to remain home until they can assess what needs to be done.

More of the aftermath and clean-up efforts on 200 E and 400 S, near #SaltLakeCityLibrary @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/lEC1INCaL0

— Garna Mejia KSL (@GarnaMejiaKSL) May 31, 2020

“We hope to have some organized activities later today. We’ll let you know when those become available,” she said. “We’re still assessing the damage. Safety – particularly during COVID-19 and a pandemic – is our number one priority.”

Gatherers were protesting the death of another black man while in police custody.

On May 25, video showed a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd could be heard in the video, saying “I can’t breathe.”

He became unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police had been investigating an allegation of a forgery in progress.

The police officer was fired. Four days after the incident, former officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Protests and violence erupted in Minneapolis and across much of the country, including Salt Lake City.