Photos: Utah Marine veteran stands alone at Capitol with 'I can't breathe' covering mouth
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KUTV) – In a one-man demonstration, a Utah Marine veteran stood outside the Utah State Capitol for more than three hours on Friday to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Utah Marine veteran identified himself as Todd Winn during an exclusive interview with 2News on Sunday night. He explained why he chose to protest in his uniform, cleared up rumors questioning the validity of his Marine services, and how he is handling the wide range of comments he is receiving from strangers and other Marines.
Photographer Robin Pendergrast, who captured the event, said this Utah Marine veteran was decorated with two Marine Purple Hearts. Winn verified this with 2News Reporter Kelly Vaughen:
FROM THE INTERVIEW: He said he taped his mouth to silence the voice he has as a veteran – one he says is a privileged voice – with the hopes to magnify the voices of so many others speaking out against police brutality.
Some of the photos show the Veteran's shoes melting in the blistering heat; Friday's weather in Salt Lake City was in the upper 90s. The sign he held in front of the Capitol explains the Marine's motives: "Justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, and countless others..."
Just the day before, thousands of peaceful protesters showed up the Capitol to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
