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Seven University of Utah students were charged with misdemeanors Monday after having “stormed” a Nov. 1 event on campus that was critical of the transgender community, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The students were members of MECHA, a self-identified socialist group largely led by and for Black, Indigenous, queer and trans individuals. The event the students interrupted was a screening of a documentary about transgender individuals who later resumed identifying with the gender they were assigned at birth. It was held by Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative student organization.
About 50 MECHA members crowded into a campus auditorium chanting “Trans people are welcome here” for 15 minutes before the police tried to clear the room. The protesters locked arms to block the officers and cut off access to the auditorium entrance.
The students must appear before a judge and could be fined up to $1,000 if found guilty. The organization posted a request for money to help pay legal fees on its Instagram page.
Rebecca Walsh, a university spokesperson, told the Tribune that police have identified an additional student allegedly involved in the incident and referred that student for citations. She said an investigation is ongoing.
The university said in a letter to MECHA on Nov. 9 that its university sponsorship would be revoked because members participated in “behavior that violates university policy.” The students could also face academic discipline by the dean of students, the letter adds.
