Ahead of protests, how police and organizers prepare for agitators

SALT LAKE CITY () — Plans for peaceful demonstrations are underway for this weekend across the country, with 18 here in the Beehive State. Police and organizers say ignoring and avoiding potential agitators is the best way to keep the peace.
In Thursday night's protest in Salt Lake City, counter protestors agitated the crowd and instigated a brief moment of violence in the hours long demonstration that police described as 'mostly peaceful.' Sarah Burk, leader of Salt Lake Indivisible, said ignoring and avoiding is the best way to not give them what they want: attention.
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She explained, 'They want you to yell at them. They want you to lose your cool. And so just knowing that that is their goal is really helpful.'
Burk retold encountering agitators in previous demonstrations saying they've come with airhorns, armor, and in some cases even weapons. She believes that only shows the fear they have and hopes the sheer number of demonstrators coming out this weekend will deter any trouble.
She detailed, 'My people show up with passion and that's the armor they wear, that they care about our country and they don't want to see us lose the freedoms that we have.'
Burk explained that if peace is disrupted, so is their protest's message about the current administration: 'Many of his actions are not actions of a president, and they're not actions that are that happen in a democracy. And people need to wake up to that.'
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Salt Lake City Police when asked about dealing with potential agitators sent the following statement:
'We are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of everyone in our community. At the same time, we are equally committed to maintaining public safety. When people come to a peaceful demonstration with the intent to incite violence, destroy property, or threaten others, including our officers, they will need to be held accountable.
We are incredibly proud of our officers. They have shown professionalism in very difficult situations, and their safety remains a top priority.
We encourage event organizers and participants to help us maintain a safe and respectful environment by peacefully exercising their rights, staying aware of their surroundings, and promptly reporting any disruptive or threatening behavior to our officers. Public safety is a shared responsibility, and we never want anyone to put themselves at risk. That's why we ask community members to notify an officer or call 9-1-1 rather than intervening directly.
Maintaining distance from people who are aggressive or attempting to agitate a crowd can go a long way in preventing unnecessary tension or escalation. Our goal is to ensure that safe, lawful demonstrations can take place without disruption – and to make sure those who seek to cause violence do not drown out the voices of those gathered in good faith.
Salt Lake City police officers will continue doing everything they can to keep our city safe.'
The first demonstration in Salt Lake City is set to take place Saturday at 10 a.m. at the J. Willard Marriott Library on the University of Utah Campus.
Ahead of protests, how police and organizers prepare for agitators
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