DRUM-CIRCLE ATTENDANCE FALLS

Some Say Police Have Intimidated Park Gathering

Something was a little offbeat.

While several hundred gathered Sunday afternoon for the weekly drum circle
in Liberty Park, attendees commented things felt different.

"The drummers don't have as much enthusiasm," Kristy Giles said.

Numbers were also down. Normally, 500-600 people attend the drum circle
during Sundays in June, said Steven Wilcox, who has been attending the drum
circles for a year.

On Sunday police estimated only 300 showed up. Police also reported no
calls to Liberty Park on Sunday. At least two officers patrolled the park
on bike, Sgt. Fred Louis said.

Sunday's drum circle was the first since Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson
spoke to the group May 27.

Anderson intended to make it clear to attendees of the drum circle, which
is reportedly a haven for marijuana smoking and other drug use, that he
does not tolerate illegal drugs in city parks. While some in the drum
circle accused the mayor of unnecessary harassment and others tried to
debate the merits of legalizing marijuana, a policy beyond the mayor's
control, Anderson warned that police will arrest anyone caught with drugs.

And perhaps Anderson was successful in getting the message across. Police
said no drug arrests were made Sunday. A few people were cited for alcohol,
but they said that is not unusual in a public park on a Sunday.

There were at least three officers riding bicycles in the park Sunday.

"You can feel an undercurrent," said Wilcox, who attends the drum circle
with others from Capital Church In The City to reach out to attendees in
need of friends or someone to talk to. "There's a little intimidation with
the police."

Ray Pennybaker, who said he has attended the drum circle on and off in the
past decade, made a point of showing up Sunday, after Anderson's
appearance. Pennybaker was armed with a stack of bumper stickers that read,
"I am not anti-police. I am anti-police state," which he sold for $2.

"The police perceive us as the enemy," Pennybaker said.

But identification of an actual "enemy" is relative because drum-circle
attendees say other people who regularly attend may be staying away because
of perceptions of alleged police intimidation.

"I think it's keeping a lot of younger teenagers away," Tiffany Koester said.