Police moved into Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on Wednesday morning as the city prepares to carry out its plan to remove a street encampment from the neighbourhood.
East Hastings Street, where people have been living in tents and make-shift structures, has been shut down at Main Street while the process begins.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver said it has requested support from the Vancouver Police Department to “bring the East Hastings encampment to a close,” citing public safety and an increase of fires in the area.
According to the city, officers are on hand to protect city staff as they do their work and to enforce street and traffic bylaws.
City officials, including Mayor Ken Sim, will be speaking to the media at 10:30 a.m. PT. CBC News will livestream that new conference.
💥 BREAKING: <a href=”https://twitter.com/VancouverPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@VancouverPD</a> have descended upon East Hastings Street to enclose the community and begin decampment. Police vans are blocking the street from Main to Columbia. Approximately 50 constables on the ground. <a href=”https://t.co/c5WdQu7cFC”>pic.twitter.com/c5WdQu7cFC</a>
—@VANDUpeople
The removal of the structures comes in the wake of leaked city documents that show a two-stage plan for the process.
That leak raised concerns among advocates who work with people experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use issues living in the East Hastings encampment.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that they feel human after this process because it’s a very dehumanizing process,” said Ryan Sudds, a member of Stop the Sweeps.
Sudds said the organization has a team of legal observers who will be keeping an eye on how the removals are conducted.
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