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SALT LAKE CITY -- A protest of the frozen economy turned into a cold campout at Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City.
As part of the Occupy Salt Lake City demonstration, about 300 protesters gathered at the state Capitol Thursday, marched past several banks, paused at the Federal Building and ended up at Pioneer Park.
Many of them spent the night at the park, sleeping in 35 to 40 tents. They say they plan to continue protesting until there is a resolution to their concerns.
The people who are in control of the government do not represent the majority of the public, period.
–Pete Litster
Their demonstration is part of a national movement that started 21 days ago on Wall Street. Participants are protesting corporate greed and its influence on government. The movement has spread to hundreds of cities across America.
Protesters marched along Main Street again today around noon, and plan to be back again at 6:00 p.m.
Det. Cary Wichmann with the SLCPD said that Occupy SLC has been issued four 24-hour free expression permits for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
What happens after those permits run out Sunday "depends on the situation at the time," according to Det. Wichmann.
Skylar Hawk told KSL that the group's general assembly would decide over the next couple days whether they will apply for a longer permit.
Det. Wichmann also said that preexisting permits would supersede Occupy SLC's permits, permits like the one granted to the Farmer's Market Saturday. The group has agreed to take down camp to accommodate the market, as well as other possible events, and has planned on doing so since the earliest planning meetings last week.
Protest organizers in Salt Lake City say it's only the beginning and the movement will continue to grow. Protestor Pete Litster says Occupy SLC plans to camp in Pioneer Park indefinitely.
"The fact that there are people camping out here is not a spectacle. This is a spontaneous uprising of people who are actually angry," he said. "It's important to me. I'm 36 years old. I have a 2-year-old son, and there are days I just don't know how I'm going to do it."
- 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
March along Main Street
Salt Lake City - 5 p.m.
Vernon Worthen Park
St. George
Lister expects the movement to continue growing across the nation.
Today the group plans to march on Main Street again, protesting corporate greed in Salt Lake City's financial district. The first march will start at noon, the second at 6 p.m.
Lister says he wants the rest of the world to see that Utahns are serious about this issue.
"This is part of the wave, of the people from nations all over the world that recognize that the people who are in control of the government do not represent the majority of the public, period," he said.
Police have been patrolling Pioneer Park to ensure safety and that the protests do not get out of hand. So far, the demonstration has been peaceful, but cold.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker's office released a statement today regarding Occupy SLC, saying that it has reached out to the protesters, and encouraging them to ensure a "safe, peaceful and lawful protest."
The statement said that the group was being monitored and that they would be required to "make a daily commitment, throughout the course of their gathering, to abide by the rules established to accommodate their free speech event."
E-mail: spark@ksl.com