Salt Lake City to allow more protesters during Olympics

By The Associated Press

11.07.01

Printer-friendly page

SALT LAKE CITY — City officials have announced final plans for downtown free-speech zones during the 2002 Winter Games, greatly expanding the number of demonstrators allowed and largely mollifying the American Civil Liberties Union.

The city's original plan established zones allowing from 10 to 100 protesters. The plan announced late yesterday allows 500 protesters in Pioneer Park alone and permits an unlimited number in parades that would be allowed between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

"Our preliminary reaction is that the city seems to have taken the responsibility to accommodate free speech seriously," said Stephen Clark, legal director of the ACLU's Utah chapter. The ACLU had called the original plan "First Amendment tokenism."

Mayor Rocky Anderson said the final plan balances First Amendment rights with public safety concerns.

"We have done everything in our power to create safe, visible and meaningful opportunities for people to express their opinions near the Olympic action while providing for the safety and security of those who live and work in Salt Lake City and for our visitors," he said.

Police Chief Rich Dinse said that since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many people have equated protesters with terrorists.

"This is not accurate and making that assumption plays into what the terrorists want," he said.

Clark said the ACLU was glad to see that sentiment expressed.

"There has been a lot of commentary to the effect 'What does free speech have to do with the Olympics?'" Clark said. "These regulations clearly acknowledge there is a strong expressive element to the Olympics."

Clark does have some reservations about a provision allowing a permit for a demonstration to be denied if it "presents an imminent clear and present danger to the public safety, good order or health."

He said there is some concern "that kind of broad and vague standard could be wielded in some manner to target certain groups, possibly on viewpoint or what they had done in the past," which he said would not be acceptable.

But, "overall we think the plan is very positive," he said.

Among groups planning demonstrations is the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, which protests inclusion of a rodeo in the Cultural Olympiad.

UARC has contended the city has procrastinated on its applications to hold five demonstrations during the Olympics in February, and it filed suit in federal court to force the issue.

City officials said they were waiting for adoption of the final demonstration plan.

UARC officials could not be reached last night for comment.

Previous

ACLU calls planned Olympics protest zones inadequate
Attorney says intended sites won’t accommodate numbers of demonstrators expected to attend Winter Games, calls proposal ‘First Amendment tokenism at its worst.’  08.02.01

Related

Animal-rights group sues city over Olympics protest permits
Organization claims Salt Lake City's inaction on applications keeps demonstration organizers from planning for February games.  10.24.01

Iowa State students applaud expanded free-speech zones
But one student leader says parts of policy that restrict size of groups, proximity to buildings still limit speech.  11.21.02