A protest over retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North's appearance at Cottonwood High School Wednesday evening ended when school security officers and sheriff's deputies threatened to arrest the protesters if they didn't get off the school grounds.
Gordon Beckstrom, Cottonwood High assistant principal, said he asked the police and deputies to disperse the protesters, who could move to the public sidewalks that surround the school if they wished to continue their action."It's a matter of turf here. We don't object to them picketing," Beckstrom said. "But they need to understand where they can legally and lawfully do that."They posed aggravation to the people coming to the program," he continued. "As people walked by, they exchanged opinion in an aggravating manner. It wasn't bad language, but it wasn't in keeping with the guests we have here. We're not interested in controversy here."
North was one of two featured guests at a personal development conference sponsored by a local talk radio station. A conference brochure said he would speak on commitment to country, how to build a stronger family, drugs and how to turn motivation into positive actions.
The 11 protesters, who said they were not part of any organized group, held hand-lettered signs disparaging North. They stood on the edge of the walkway into the school auditorium as hundreds of people who had paid $15 to $150 to hear North speak filed past.
The protesters were there for different reasons, but all said they were incensed at the idea of North speaking about traditional American values.
"The idea that he's a symbol of a patriot is outrageous," said one protester.
North was convicted in May of aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress, destroying government documents and receiving illegal gratuity by using money that was not his to install a security system in his home.
The charges stemmed from North's involvement with the Iran-Contra scandal, where money from arms sales to Iran was used to fund Nicaraguan rebels' anti-government activity. North is appealing the convictions.
There were few exchanges between the protesters and the patrons at the high school, and the protesters did not block the sidewalk.
But shortly after the evening program's scheduled 7 p.m. starting time, four deputies and two Granite School District security officers told the protesters to leave.
Attorney Bruce Plenk, who said he represented the protesters, demanded that the deputies cite the legal grounds for the dispersal.
The deputies said the protesters were committing unlawful acts in and around a school activity. Jerry Nielsen, chief of the Granite District campus police, said Plenk had been told a month ago that the protest would not be allowed.
But Central America Solidarity Coalition spokesman Michael Saperstein said Wednesday night that when Plenk, representing the coalition, attempted a month ago to get permission for the protest, he was told a permit wouldn't be necessary and that there would be problems only if the protesters blocked the sidewalk.
Earlier in the day, representatives of three groups - the Central America Solidarity Coalition, the Utah chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Big Mountain Support Group, a northern Arizona Navajo organization - had held a news conference to declare their opposition to North's appearance and called on all Utahns to repudiate his visit.