Protect Salt Lake City Protesters: Drop the Charges Against Arturo Gamboa


Protect Salt Lake City Protesters: Drop the Charges Against Arturo Gamboa
The Issue
Arturo Gamboa has always stood up for what’s right. Now he needs us to stand up for him.
Arturo is a 24-year-old Salt Lake City punk drummer, the son of a Venezuelan immigrant, and a lifelong advocate for justice. He’s marched in the streets to demand change, carried a (legal, unloaded) rifle to protect himself and fellow protesters from counterprotesters, and used music to give voice to the unheard.
He’s also the one now being punished.
At the recent “No Kings” protest, Arturo was shot, arrested, and jailed for five days—without bail—after a volunteer opened fire, killing an innocent bystander. Arturo didn’t fire a shot. His weapon was not loaded. Video evidence shows he never raised it. But because of how he looked—tall, masked, and carrying a gun—he was treated like a threat.
Arturo has never been charged with a violent crime. He’s known by friends, activists, and musicians as kind, protective, and committed to peaceful action. To jail someone like Arturo while the shooter remains free is not just a legal failure—it’s a moral one.
We demand Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill immediately end this case. Drop all charges, clear Arturo’s name, and acknowledge what really happened: a peaceful protester was misjudged, shot, and jailed for surviving.
Arturo has given his voice, his energy, and his safety to this community. Let’s give him justice in return.
Sign now if you believe in due process, the right to protest—and that Arturo Gamboa should be free.
213
The Issue
Arturo Gamboa has always stood up for what’s right. Now he needs us to stand up for him.
Arturo is a 24-year-old Salt Lake City punk drummer, the son of a Venezuelan immigrant, and a lifelong advocate for justice. He’s marched in the streets to demand change, carried a (legal, unloaded) rifle to protect himself and fellow protesters from counterprotesters, and used music to give voice to the unheard.
He’s also the one now being punished.
At the recent “No Kings” protest, Arturo was shot, arrested, and jailed for five days—without bail—after a volunteer opened fire, killing an innocent bystander. Arturo didn’t fire a shot. His weapon was not loaded. Video evidence shows he never raised it. But because of how he looked—tall, masked, and carrying a gun—he was treated like a threat.
Arturo has never been charged with a violent crime. He’s known by friends, activists, and musicians as kind, protective, and committed to peaceful action. To jail someone like Arturo while the shooter remains free is not just a legal failure—it’s a moral one.
We demand Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill immediately end this case. Drop all charges, clear Arturo’s name, and acknowledge what really happened: a peaceful protester was misjudged, shot, and jailed for surviving.
Arturo has given his voice, his energy, and his safety to this community. Let’s give him justice in return.
Sign now if you believe in due process, the right to protest—and that Arturo Gamboa should be free.
213
The Decision Makers

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Petition created on June 24, 2025