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SALT LAKE CITY -- A posting on the Occupy Salt Lake City website Thursday morning raised concerns that city leaders were planning to kick protestors out of Pioneer Park by the end of the week.
Occupy Salt Lake City organizers claimed they were being evicted from Pioneer Park by Saturday, but Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank stopped by the park Thursday afternoon to meet with the group, informing them that there are no intentions of kicking the group out of the park.
"The city came to us, met with a group of us and indicated they might not be renewing their permit for Pioneer Park," said Aharon Ben Or of Occupy Salt Lake City.
Protest organizers said the city is unfairly blaming the group for problems that existed in Pioneer Park before they arrived. However, they point to the good things they've done in the park in the past two weeks, such as setting up a school, a medical facility and a kitchen that serves meals to anyone interested.
Chief Burbank went to the park after word spread that protestors might be removed from the park by force. He said the claims posted on the Internet were simply false.
"The information that hit a web page today and became viral that PD was coming down here to take a permit away, beat people up and take people away, it couldn't be further from the truth," Chief Burbank said.
They will undertake civil disobedience, if necessary, in order to carry forward the movement and the mission.
–Aharon Ben Or
Chief Burbank said he sends his best officers to the park to work together with the protest group, praising those who have occupied the park for their cooperation with police.
"I think this is the relationships that we've developed over time and it's the best way to do business in life" said Chief Burbank. "We are here to facilitate free speech."
Police and protestors both said they hope to avoid violent clashes like the ones that have occurred in other cities around the world, but the people who have occupied Pioneer Park said they are committed to their various causes and will resist if they are ordered to leave.
"They will undertake civil disobedience, if necessary, in order to carry forward the movement and the mission," said Aharon Ben Or.
Ralph Becker's office said the city has no plans to force the protestors out of Pioneer Park as long as the group continues to meet the special conditions both sides have agreed upon.
Email: gliesik@ksl.com
