SALT LAKE CITY - There will be no special free speech restrictions on the Main Street Plaza during 173rd Annual General Conference The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' this weekend.

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson decided only restrictions that apply to city sidewalks will be used, said Josh Ewing, spokesman for the mayor.

"We're applying time, place and manner restrictions that are generally applicable on other sidewalks, but weren't previously applied to easements," Ewing said.

Ordinances already "on the books" that could be enforced include impeding pedestrian traffic, disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace, said Ed Rutan, city attorney.

"The mayor's decision was that ordinances on the books provide sufficient authority and flexibility for the police to address any situations that are likely to come up on the plaza or North Temple during the coming weekend," Rutan said.

Police are receiving specific instructions on how to apply existing ordinances. They will be giving warnings and working with people on the plaza this weekend, Ewing said.

The mayor and city officials initially considered enforcing further restrictions on the plaza, but decided against them.

Thousands of people flock to downtown Salt Lake City during the conference, making the plaza a preferable spot for protestors and preachers. The war in Iraq could also bring additional demonstrators to the plaza.

Tension could increase this year because this is the first conference the plaza is free of speech restrictions. A 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last October removed speech and behavior limitations the church had set up on the plaza. The ruling is currently being appealed by the church to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dani Eyer, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union for Utah, said she had mixed feelings about the possibility of having temporary restrictions.

"We're in favor of enacting time, place, and manner regulations for the plaza, but not in this hurried fashion and not just for the weekend," Eyer said.

Rutan met with street preachers Wednesday morning who also expressed concerns for their free speech rights.

They said in the past the police had inappropriately limited their expression and in certain circumstances had not protected them from attack, Rutan said.

Street preachers have yet to provide additional specific information concerning the incidents, he said.

The way protestors and preachers behave over the weekend could affect how the plaza is treated in the future, Ewing said.

"If things do not go well we may implement some temporary time, place and manner restrictions that are specific to the plaza," Ewing said.

Those restrictions could stay in place until the mayor's proposal, that could give the church complete control over expression on the plaza in exchange for church land, goes through.

The deal included a land swap where city would give the church the easement through the plaza in exchange for two acres of church-owned land in Glendale for a community center.
Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Apr 2003