Utah

Indigenous Spiritual Walk Protests Last Conventional Uranium Mill

November 2, 2024 Alex Binder, Unicorn Riot. Resist! Indigenous Activism, Sacred sites, Uranium, Utah

White Mesa, UT — The White Mesa Mill was built in 1979 with plans to process uranium ore for 15 years. With the facility now well past its initial operational lifespan, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, other Indigenous tribes and allies continue their call for it to be shut down and cleaned up. On October 12, over 75 people participated in an annual spiritual walk in opposition to the mill, which is the last conventional uranium processing plant in operation in the United States. Participants met at the White Mesa Community Center in southern Utah at 11 a.m., then walked five miles north on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 191 to rally outside the mill.

New Approach To Prosecuting Low-Level Offenses ‘A Massive Success’

October 10, 2024 Kyle Dunphey, Utah News Dispatch. Create! Addiction, Criminal Justice and Prisons, Homelessness, Legal System, Salt Lake City, Utah

It’s been one year since Salt Lake City launched a new court tailored toward individuals struggling with mental health, addiction or homelessness and so far, the data looks promising, with dozens of people who previously had hundreds of run-ins with police now steering clear of the criminal justice system. The city’s new, aptly named “Familiar Faces” program works with people who have had multiple contacts with Salt Lake City Police officers in recent years, resulting in dozens, sometimes more than 100, low-level, nonviolent charges during their life. That mostly includes class B and C misdemeanors like trespassing, illegal camping, theft or criminal mischief.

Utah Students Win Victory Against Israeli Study Abroad Program

October 9, 2024 Fight Back! News. Resist! BDS Movement, Campus Movement, Higher Education, Israel, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity, Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, UT – On October 3, 50 students and community members gathered on the campus of the University of Utah to demand an end to the school’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa, an Israeli military college that practices discrimination against its Arab and Muslim students. Organizers also called for the University of Utah’s full divestment from companies involved in the Israeli genocide in Gaza, reinvestment in student resources, and for the University of Utah to respect students’ right to protest for Palestine. The rally also celebrated the Palestinian resistance. Chris Loera-Peña of Mecha de U of U said, “It’s been a year of genocide, but also a year of non-stop resistance and fighting from the Palestinian people and the entire world.”

White Mesa Indigenous Community And Supporters Rally Against Uranium Mill

October 9, 2024 Sean Summers, Unicorn Riot. Resist! Indigenous Activism, Salt Lake City, Uranium, Utah

Salt Lake City, UT — On Friday, October 4, members of the White Mesa Ute community and supporters rallied at the Utah State Capitol against uranium transport and processing on Indigenous lands. White Mesa Concerned Community and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe co-organized the rally demanding the closure and clean up of the White Mesa Uranium Mill in southern Utah. The mill, which is the only one in operation in the United States, processes uranium from nearby mines, and serves as a uranium disposal site for projects across the country. Indigenous community members who live near the mill appealed to state agencies today to close the mill, citing the known and potential health hazards that uranium poses.

Utah’s Development Plans Threaten My Navajo Homeland

July 26, 2024 Mark Maryboy, In These Times. Educate! Bear's Ears, Indigenous Sovereignty, Navajo, Sacred sites, Utah

My Navajo homeland is the great expanse of land between four sacred mountains in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. It is our place of origin and Navajo spiritual traditions are rooted here. Even when we were forcibly removed from our homeland by the federal government’s army in the 19th century, our spiritual and cultural connection to these lands has never been extinguished. Utah Navajos still make use of this historic homeland, which is now known as the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument, designated by President Obama in 2016. It is where we practice our ceremonies; gather herbs, firewood and cedar poles; hunt for game; rejuvenate our spirits and caretake our sacred places.

University Of Utah Joins Gaza Solidarity Encampment Wave

April 30, 2024 Unicorn Riot. Resist! Campus Movement, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Student Activism, Utah

Salt Lake City, UT — Students at the University of Utah joined the wave of campus protests demanding that their school, which has close ties with weapons manufacturers, divest from Israel and condemn the genocide in Gaza. Under the gaze of a multi-agency police response, over 300 protesters and students joined by faculty rallied at the admin building, marched to Presidents’ Circle and started an occupation by setting up tents. “Netanyahu, you cant hide, we charge you with genocide!” chanted the anti-genocide students. The students declared the university renamed as the People’s University.

Rally At Utah State Capitol Highlights Threats To Great Salt Lake

January 22, 2023 Unicorn Riot. Resist! Environment, Salt Lake City, Utah, Water

Salt Lake City, Utah - Hundreds of local activists and concerned residents gathered at the foot of the Utah State Capitol building Jan. 14, three days before the 2023 state legislative session began, during a rally to “save our Great Salt Lake.” Between chants and songs, speakers addressed the crowd in an effort to raise awareness about the multiple crises facing Great Salt Lake. While some appealed to law makers to implement reforms, others took aim at the root causes of the catastrophes threatening the existence of the lake and its ecosystem. Great Salt Lake is at risk of ecological collapse. As of January, the lake has lost 60% of its historical surface area and 73% of its water, according to a collaborative report released by the Brigham Young University College of Life Sciences earlier this month. That report says, if current conditions persist and emergency measures aren’t taken, the lake could be completely dry in as little as five years.

Utah Protesters Face Charges With Potential Life Sentence

August 8, 2020 Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press. Resist! Black Lives Matter (BLM), Legal System, Rebellion2020, Utah

Salt Lake City, UT - Some Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City could face up to life in prison if they’re convicted of splashing red paint and smashing windows during a protest, a potential punishment that stands out among demonstrators arrested around the country and one that critics say doesn’t fit the alleged crime. The felony criminal mischief charges are more serious because they carry a gang enhancement. Prosecutors said Wednesday that’s justified because the protesters worked together to cause thousands of dollars in damage, but watchdogs called the use of the 1990s-era law troubling, especially in the context of criminal justice reform and minority communities.

Utah Seniors Form Co-op To Keep Housing Affordable

March 14, 2018 By Shirlene Stoven, Inequality.org Create! Affordable Housing, Class Struggle, New Economy, Utah

An affordable housing crisis is sweeping across the country, putting the squeeze on millions of people with modest incomes. I was one of the many older Americans whose retirement security was threatened by skyrocketing rents. But after a long, hard battle, my neighbors and I managed to beat back a redevelopment proposal that would’ve displaced our senior community. Our story might help others do the same. My community, Applewood Homeowners Cooperative, Inc., in Midvale, Utah, has long played an important role as an affordable housing option for many seniors on fixed incomes. Things started to change in 2013, when our community was purchased by a construction corporation called Ivory Homes.

Thousands Protest Trump’s Utah Monument Reduction Plan

December 4, 2017 Staff, denverpost.com Resist! Donald Trump, Monuments, Protests, Utah

By Staff of The Associated Press - State Rep. Patrice Arent, a Democrat from Millcreek, accused Trump of coming to “wreak destruction on a land he knows basically nothing about,” the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch vowed said the president should see these monuments for himself. “I want him to visit Bears Ears before he takes any action,” Branch said. Roughly 5,000 people showed up to the rally, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. The demonstration remained relatively peaceful. Trump is scheduled to visit the state on Monday, when he will announce a plan to reduce the size of Bears Ears and Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by nearly two-thirds. Those monuments were designated by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, respectively. Trump’s move would be the first such act by a president in half a century. Environmentalists and tribal leaders have decried the decision as illegal and an affront to Native Americans. Leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Trump plans to shrink Bears Ears National Monument by nearly 85 percent and reduce Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by almost half. The plan would cut the total amount of land in the state’s red rock country protected under monument status from more than 3.2 million acres (5,000 square miles) to about 1.2 million acres (1,875 square miles).

Protest On Utah Capitol Day Before Trump Attack’s National Monuments

December 4, 2017 Staff, commondreams.org Resist! Protests, Trump Administration, Utah

By Staff of Common Dreams - On Saturday, thousands of protesters angered by Trump's expected Monday attack on two national monuments in Utah rallied in Salt Lake City, just two days ahead of his visit. “Go Home Trump,” was the message spelled out by 113 protesters dressed in white jumpsuits. Artist Cat Palmer organized the protest Sunday on the south lawn of the Utah Capitol ahead of President Donald Trump’s Monday visit, in which he is expected to dramatically reduce the sizes of Bears Ears and Grand Escalante national monuments. “We don’t have somebody representing our voices right now, right? That’s a problem. Sometimes when we feel helpless we make art hoping our voices will be heard,” Palmer said. “It’s an outlet for people. It’s therapeutic, .... because we are feeling lost right now,” the Salt Lake City Tribune reports. On Saturday, thousands of protesters angered by Trump's expected Monday attack on two national monuments in Utah rallied in Salt Lake City, just two days ahead of his visit. The demonstrators denounced Trump's expected action, many chanting and holding signs with messages such as "Protect Wild Utah." Native American groups danced or formed drum circles.

Utah Utility Wants To Triple Monthly Charges For Solar Customers

August 10, 2017 Mark Hand, www.thinkprogress.org Educate! Solar Energy, Utah, Utilities

By Mark Hand for Think Progress - Utah’s largest electric utility company wants to place new charges on rooftop solar customers, a proposal that critics say would unfairly penalize the customers; in addition, they fear it could lead to a scenario similar to the one that recently played out in Nevada, with rooftop solar companies abandoning the state after policymakers weakened the net metering system. Rocky Mountain Power’s plan would nearly triple monthly customer charges and peak-time usage charges for rooftop solar customers, although the company says the new charges are necessary to create an equitable system between solar and non-solar customers. The Utah Public Service Commission is holding a hearing on Wednesday to get public input on the company’s controversial proposal. Next week, the commission plans to hold a multi-day hearing where Rocky Mountain Power, solar companies, and other official intervenors in the case will get to state their positions. Under Rocky Mountain Power’s proposal, new solar customers would pay a $15 per month service charge, compared to $6 per month now; a $9.02 per kilowatt demand charge for “on-peak” demand; and a 3.81 cents per kilowatt hour charge for electricity. From May to September, on-peak periods occur from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. From October to April, on peak occurs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ute Tribe: Utah Republican Pushes Modern Day Indian Land Grab

September 20, 2016 Staff, www.indianz.com Organize! Congress, Land grabs, Utah

By Staff of Indianz - In the next few weeks Congressman Rob Bishop will attempt to push through the U.S. House of Representatives the first Indian land grab in over 100 years. H.R. 5780, the Utah Public Lands Initiative, proposes to rollback federal policy to the late 1800’s when Indian lands and resources where taken for the benefit of others. In a startling lack of transparency, Congressman Bishop plans only one hearing on this 215-page bill with about 129 other land management proposals in the obscure Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Utah Man Dies In Police Custody After Being Illegally Arrested

February 24, 2016 M. David, www.thefreethoughtproject.com Educate! Arrest, Police abuse, Utah

By M. David for The Free Thought Project - Tremonton, UT — Bear River, Utah resident Rex Iverson, 45, died in the Box Elder County Jail on January 23 after being incarcerated for his failure to pay an ambulance bill. A deputy arrested him on a $350 bench warrant issued by the justice court on December 29. He was found unresponsive in his cell by a detention deputy a few hours after being arrested. “We go to great lengths to never arrest anybody on these warrants,” Box Elder County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dale Ward told the Ogden Standard-Examiner.

Protesters Crash Tar Sands Conference, Expose PR Problem

October 26, 2015 Kaitlin Butler, www.desmogblog.com Resist! Oil and Gas, Utah

By Kaitlin Butler for Desmog. Salt Lake City, UT - The new U.S. oil and gas rush brings certain places to mind: the Midwest, California, the East Coast — Josh Fox’s Gasland, Governor Cuomo’s ban on fracking, the contentious battle over the Keystone XL pipeline. Amidst mounting public controversy over fracking practices, pipeline spillsand exploding oil trains, one corner of an often-overlooked state weighs heavily on our future. Utah: home to some of the most remote landscapes left in the lower 48 and a forgotten lynchpin to an all-out domestic energy bonanza. The course our energy future, and to some extent our climate future, takes could be determined by what happens in this remote desert basin. Earlier this month, Salt Lake City, Utah housed the 35th annual Oil Shale Symposium to discuss this future.

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