| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
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| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
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| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
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| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Activists protest sign ban in Oly squares
By Carrie Kennington and Derek Jensen
Deseret News staff writers
Patrick Mahonay and Brandi Swindell, carrying neon-colored signs in an effort to promote free speech, were denied access to Salt Lake Olympic Square Tuesday. SLOS general manager Dave Gustatson invited them to enter without signs, but Mahonay said without signs, he would not go into the square.
"No American should be told where they should celebrate the First Amendment," he said.
Now the two will seek guidance from attorneys in hopes of gaining access to the square with their signs.
In a Dec. 26, 2001, letter from Salt Lake City addressed to Swindell, national director for Generation Life, specific sign regulations in the SLOS were issued. Two or fewer people, the letter said, could carry signs made of cardboard, posterboard, or cloth, with dimensions no greater than 3 feet wide and 6 feet long. The regulations have since been changed to no signs at all.
A few weeks ago, according to Salt Lake mayoral spokesman Joshua Ewing, regulations were changed by the city to coincide with sign regulations set for Washington Square. "Signs were never allowed in Washington Square," he said. Attorneys inadvertently left out the disallowance of signs onto SLOS, Ewing said. The city realized this and the change was made.
SLOC enforces the sign regulations at the Olympic Square, while it's the city's job to enforce at Washington Square, Ewing said. Leaflets and pamphlets are allowed onto the properties.
The city's Web site, www.slcgov.com, cites the following as one of the reasons signs are not allowed in the two properties: "The presence of signs . . . could block the view of persons desiring to see the entertainment of other activities within this enclosed and secure area, and could be used to hide the unlawful drinking of alcoholic beverages."
Salt Lake Police Chief Rick Dinse cites safety as a reason signs are not allowed. Though the two demonstrators said they wanted to peacefully walk around SLOS with signs, "the problem is, how do you keep anyone else out?" Dinse asked. Dinse said with fenced-off areas like Washington Square and SLOS, the risk of danger is greater if demonstrations erupt into violence because citizens are confined in the squares and police can't get in as quickly. That's why areas outside the squares were developed for demonstrators to promote their views, he said.
Another group protesting the militarization of the Games marched through downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday carrying black flags, banging on drums and chanting for an end to the police state.
Police on bikes and foot trailed the group of about 10 protestors during their peaceful march. More bicycle officers remained one step ahead of the protestors, blocking the entrances to several downtown businesses as the demonstrators passed.
Despite worries by police of a large demonstration, journalists covering the protests outnumber demonstrators roughly three to one. No one was arrested as a result of the protest, Salt Lake Police Sgt. Fred Louis said.
"We felt that it was going to be a large group but it didn't turn out to be that way at all," Louis said. "That was our hope that nobody would create any civil disobedience or any violence."
"We're not here to get arrested or to get in trouble," said one male protestor, who refused to give his name or age. "We're here to get the word out . . . this is a fascist state."
Police allowed the protestors to march down the sidewalk, occasionally asking them to move aside to keep from blocking pedestrians. Many passers-by chuckled when they saw the protestors. A few people yelled to the protestors, "Get a job."
"We're just here to facilitate their needs and make sure they stay safe," Lt. Zane Smith said.
Mayor Rocky Anderson also announced Tuesday the city's plan to hang banners and pass out cards reminding protestors to behave peacefully while expressing their views.
"Wanting to express your opinions does not make you a terrorist," reads part of a statement by Anderson which is printed on each card. "In fact, the lawful expression of different points of view is good citizenship."
"As long as they're not being violent and not impeding traffic or harassing people they're fine," Louis said.
E-mail: ckennington@desnews.com; djensen@desnews.com
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February 13, 2002
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