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Forcible Removal Of Canada Occupy Camps
November 9th, 2011
Police in London, Ontario, swept into the local Occupy protesters' encampment early Wednesday and removed all tents, marking the first time authorities in Canada have forcibly removed a camp that is part of the nation wide protests.
CBC reporter Kerry McKee said a "large number" of London police moved in on Victoria Park at about 12:45 a.m. ET, closing off the entire block near the park.
The tents in London just started being pulled down … and it was not long before the park was grass again," she said. There were no reports of violence and there were no arrests.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford also said Wednesday it's time for the Toronto's Occupy protesters to move on from their encampment in Toronto's downtown St. James Park.
Dead On Arrival
Prior to the DOA concert (Dead On Arrival) at the Vancouver occupy camp, a 20 year old homeless girl died of a heroin overdose in a tent. There were 40 overdose deaths in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in 2009. Those numbers have been increasing annually.
The Occupy camp overdose death is being used as a publicity tool by Mayor Gregor Robertson to justify shutting down the camp. City officials say the presence of drugs, alcohol, and propane tanks show Occupy Vancouver isn't able to police itself.
LEGAL ACTION
Lawyers from the City of Vancouver launched legal action for an injunction to shut down the Vancouver camp. The city went to court for an injunction to remove the tents on the site after a brawl broke out on Monday night between the police and firefighters trying to extinguish a barrel fire. Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu alleged two of his officers were bitten by demonstrators and one had his magazine clip for his gun stolen during the scuffle.
Occupy Protesters have since agreed to meet some of the fire department's demands. The lawyers are scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. PT today after a B.C. Supreme Court judge adjourned the hearing on Tuesday to give the protesters and their lawyer more time to fight the city's injunction application.
Just minutes after the adjournment, there was a show of defiance at the Occupy Vancouver camp as the protesters lit a fire in a barrel on the front lawn of the occupy site. Later on Tuesday evening, the protesters adopted a more conciliatory tone. They put out the fire and voted for more fire safety at their general assembly. Protesters also voted to space out their tents more, not to allow any open flame or propane heaters in their tents and to allow inspections by the Vancouver Fire Department.
Chu said the once-peaceful protest has been infiltrated by dangerous people, creating a divide within the camp between militant and peaceful protesters.“This can no longer stand,” Chief Chu declared Tuesday. “We are issuing a public warning to those who remain on the site. It is time to leave.”
Protesters like Jamie Grosvenor say their movement is non-violent. "We are a peaceful movement and we are here to encourage dialogue," he said.
OCCUPY VANCOUVER IS ON NATIVE LAND
Occupy Vancouver protesters say they no longer recognize the authority of city officials on the site because they're on Coast Salish land, and said they will only speak with representatives from the federal government.
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