This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Salt Lake City Police Department rolled up the Occupy Salt Lake encampment in Pioneer Park Saturday night, but that's not the story. How they did it — without breaking heads, without ugly confrontation — that's the story.
Both the police and the protesters deserve credit for setting a high standard for humane behavior at a nonviolent demonstration. Police Chief Chris Burbank notified the protesters a day in advance that they would have to clear out of the park at sunset Saturday. He made it clear that the intent was not to eliminate protests but to end overnight camping at the park because public safety and public health both were deteriorating.
For their part, the protesters stayed true to their pledge of nonviolence.
Basically, both sides kept their cool. There's been a lot of empty talk lately about civility in political affairs, but police and protesters walked the walk Saturday night.
Protesters were dismayed by city officials' decision to close down the encampment. Some say this was an unconstitutional infringement on their right to assemble peacefully.
We agree that the protesters have a right to gather peacefully, to give speeches, sing songs, distribute fliers, shoot videos, rally support. But we do not agree that free speech entails overnight camping in a public park.
Mayor Ralph Becker and Chief Burbank made the right decision to close the encampment after a melee broke out in the park early Thursday morning and a camper was found dead the following morning, though the two events appear to be unrelated. What is indisputable is that there were confrontations between protesters and homeless people in the park, despite the well-organized efforts of protesters to provide food and shelter to the homeless there. When police hauled down tents Saturday night, they found feces and urine in some tents that created a public health hazard. Subfreezing temperatures at night added to the danger. Under these circumstances, city officials could not allow long-term overnight camping to continue.
However, Chief Burbank has allowed the protesters to keep facilities at the park to provide daytime information. While the occupy in Occupy Salt Lake apparently has ended, the protesters' gatherings and free speech may continue as long as they are willing to sustain them. That's as it should be.