Police clear Occupy Toronto with few detentions
TORONTO (Reuters) - One woman was arrested as police cleared tents from the Occupy Toronto protest on Wednesday in a move to end the weeks-long encampment, though some demonstrators chained themselves inside barricaded tents and vowed to stay.
Backed by a court order, police arrived at the downtown park at dawn and began removing unoccupied tents and garbage, while some protesters screamed at them, some sang and played guitar, and others dug in for an expected stand-off and forcible removal.
Hours into the eviction effort, one woman was arrested for trespassing, police said. Another protester said the woman had blocked one of the trucks used by police and city workers in the eviction effort.
Overall, the removal of unoccupied tents proceeded peacefully, though police have mostly avoided the occupied tents where protesters have promised to resist efforts to evict them.
Protesters linked arms around one large library tent, saying they would to protect it and the people inside from removal.
"I'm not going to get involved on a physical level, but I will let them know that I think what they are doing is wrong, if they choose to arrest me, that's what happens," said protester Jennifer Stewart, 28, who sat outside the library.
The scene, anticipated since a court upheld a city eviction order on Monday, mirrors developments across North America, where police are removing protesters from public spaces in an attempt to end Occupy protests against social and financial inequality.
Stewart, who works in a health center and has occupied the park on and off since protest started on October 15, said she and others have been up all night anticipating the eviction.
"I'm really tired. I think a lot of other people are tired too," she said, adding she was worried she would not make it to her job as scheduled.
While some protesters were defiant, others gathered in a nearby gazebo to sing "Give Peace a Chance". Heavy rain and freezing temperatures overnight made the park a muddy and wet protest site.
Protesters first set up shop in Toronto's St. James Park in mid-October, following the lead of Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York's Zuccotti Park.
Union members supporting the protest helped dismantle some large tents that had been donated, and some demonstrators praised police for making their tents and gear available at another site rather than throwing it all away.
"The police have actually been quite cordial; this is unlike any eviction I've seen. The police are actually being co-operative in terms of helping us protect our belongings," said Darryl Richardson, 28, a protester who said he had been on site since the first day of the occupation.
Dozens of uniformed police lined up along one side of the park but seemed intent on maintaining a low-key tone, dressed in yellow windbreakers rather than riot gear.
The protest has drawn criticism for the toll it has taken on the park and surrounding neighborhood. After five weeks, patches of mud and bare ground have replaced once-abundant grass, and pieces of cardboard and other refuse are scattered among the fallen leaves.
The court ruling upheld city of Toronto bylaws prohibiting tents and shelters in parks and stating that parks must be vacated between midnight and 5:30 a.m.
The judge ruled the protesters' decision to take over the park without first consulting local residents was not in line with their protections under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and the home of the country's financial industry, which has put the spotlight on the St. James Park protest. But similar demonstrations have sprung up in other cities across the country, including Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal.
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Backed by a court order, police arrived at the downtown park at dawn and began removing unoccupied tents and garbage, while some protesters screamed at them, some sang and played guitar, and others dug in for an expected stand-off and forcible removal.
Hours into the eviction effort, one woman was arrested for trespassing, police said. Another protester said the woman had blocked one of the trucks used by police and city workers in the eviction effort.
Overall, the removal of unoccupied tents proceeded peacefully, though police have mostly avoided the occupied tents where protesters have promised to resist efforts to evict them.
Protesters linked arms around one large library tent, saying they would to protect it and the people inside from removal.
"I'm not going to get involved on a physical level, but I will let them know that I think what they are doing is wrong, if they choose to arrest me, that's what happens," said protester Jennifer Stewart, 28, who sat outside the library.
The scene, anticipated since a court upheld a city eviction order on Monday, mirrors developments across North America, where police are removing protesters from public spaces in an attempt to end Occupy protests against social and financial inequality.
Stewart, who works in a health center and has occupied the park on and off since protest started on October 15, said she and others have been up all night anticipating the eviction.
"I'm really tired. I think a lot of other people are tired too," she said, adding she was worried she would not make it to her job as scheduled.
While some protesters were defiant, others gathered in a nearby gazebo to sing "Give Peace a Chance". Heavy rain and freezing temperatures overnight made the park a muddy and wet protest site.
Protesters first set up shop in Toronto's St. James Park in mid-October, following the lead of Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York's Zuccotti Park.
Union members supporting the protest helped dismantle some large tents that had been donated, and some demonstrators praised police for making their tents and gear available at another site rather than throwing it all away.
"The police have actually been quite cordial; this is unlike any eviction I've seen. The police are actually being co-operative in terms of helping us protect our belongings," said Darryl Richardson, 28, a protester who said he had been on site since the first day of the occupation.
Dozens of uniformed police lined up along one side of the park but seemed intent on maintaining a low-key tone, dressed in yellow windbreakers rather than riot gear.
The protest has drawn criticism for the toll it has taken on the park and surrounding neighborhood. After five weeks, patches of mud and bare ground have replaced once-abundant grass, and pieces of cardboard and other refuse are scattered among the fallen leaves.
The court ruling upheld city of Toronto bylaws prohibiting tents and shelters in parks and stating that parks must be vacated between midnight and 5:30 a.m.
The judge ruled the protesters' decision to take over the park without first consulting local residents was not in line with their protections under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and the home of the country's financial industry, which has put the spotlight on the St. James Park protest. But similar demonstrations have sprung up in other cities across the country, including Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal.
Source