‘They’re criminalizing people’; protestors speak out as injunction trial begins

“I go down there and people don’t know what’s going to happen. They don’t know where they’re suppose to go. They know that they’re barred from the shelters, they know that there aren’t sufficient shelter beds, there aren’t sufficient shelter beds for men available right now,” said Merrick.

Merrick says that the city has failed to use all of their options such as improved healthcare and advocating to the province for affordable housing.

Recently, BC housing announced that it’s going to lease out 44 rooms from the Knights Inn as shelter for people who need it. Yet, it’s unclear exactly who gets to take it.

Protestors say that this is a step in the right direction, but the decision comes a little too late.

“Shelter, temporary shelter, overnight shelter that is not a great long-term solution. Housing is the preferred long-term solution because it allows people predictability, it allows people healing, it allows people to have relationships and agency over their own lives,” says Merrick.

When the city filed the injunction back in August, it argued that the encampments presented health, safety, environmental, and legal challenges. The new Safe Streets Bylaw was one of the areas in which the city could enforce it.

“They’re criminalizing people and then they’re going to charge them fines while these people already have nothing. So what, are they going to pay with their pocket lint?” said Daniel Roy, who was previously homeless.

Roy, one of the protestor was at one point homeless. He succumbed to a drug addiction and landed in jail. He was also on the Select Committee on a Safe, Clean, and Inclusive Community that was tasked to advise the city on social issues and ways to fix the encampment problem.

From his perspective, there are resources avaliable to fix the problem but there’s a lack of unity. He says that the city is merely just trying to push the problem away.

“They should’ve clued in a long time ago. I’ve been clean and sober for four years, so the homelessness and the drug addiction is no secret in this city. I mean I openly used drugs on these streets for many, many years. It’s no secret, so I don’t know why they’re giving their heads a shake now.” said Roy.

The trial is set to be completed by Thursday.

by Oli Herrera

‘They’re criminalizing people’; protestors speak out as injunction trial begins

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