Defund encampment over — What happened and what’s next?

If you've driven past city hall in the last two weeks, you've probably seen it: a group of people in the forecourt, often chanting and holding signs and, at one point, accompanied by more than a half-dozen tents.

It started on Nov. 23, when 80 to 100 protesters gathered and pitched tents in front of city hall to demand the reallocation of police funds to affordable housing solutions in Hamilton.

The coalition said they would not leave until their pleas were met.

But what followed was a tense, 15-day period of back-and-forth between the city and the protesters.

The tents came down, the demands were not met and hollow rhetoric took the place of constructive discussion. Mayor Fred Eisenberger refused to meet with protesters publicly and called their pleas irrational. The coalition refused to meet with Eisenberger privately and left a coffin on his doorstep.

On Monday, organizers of the protest bid farewell to the sit-in - dubbed Freedom Camp" - and taped eviction notices to the glass doors at city hall. They also announced the group's next steps, which include a support network for homeless people.

Here's a quick summary of what happened and what's to come:

What do the protesters want?

The demands of the coalition, led by anti-police organization Defund HPS, are twofold.

On a national scale, they seek police at all levels of government be defunded and that law-enforcement budgets instead be diverted toward free and permanent housing across Canada.

Locally, the coalition demands an immediate 50 per cent reduction of the police budget and the reallocation of an expected surplus of $567,000 to free or affordable housing. They also demand council reject a proposal from police to add more than $4 million to its 2020 budget.

What is the city's response?

On the day protesters arrived at city hall, the city said in a press release it encouraged the demonstration but noted the number of people there - approximately 75 - was triple the number permitted under provincial pandemic orders.

The release further stated it was unlawful to camp outside city hall, but made no mention of whether tents would be taken down.

Three days later, on Nov. 26, bylaw officers taped removal notices on the flaps of each tent and structure at the site.

The notices, which came with a deadline of Nov. 29 at 11:59 p.m., stated the site violated two sections of the city's parks bylaw, specifically dwelling or erecting tents in a park without authorized permits.

Who took down the tents, when, and what followed?

While the coalition cleared the site of tents and structures on Dec. 1, they remained in the forecourt and camped in chairs and sleeping bags.

Around 9 p.m. on Dec. 1, members of Defund HPS posted a video to Twitter that showed a casket being carried and set down on the street outside Eisenberger's east Hamilton home. It was a continuation of a vigil previously held in the forecourt commemorating lives lost to homelessness. Police said at the time they found roses, plants and naloxone kits in the coffin.

The coalition staged a sit-in in the city hall lobby on Dec. 2 and demanded a meeting with Eisenberger.

Police later arrested and charged 18 protesters for refusing to leave after the building had closed. Those arrested were released under the Trespass to Property Act - a $65 fine.

Eisenberger and city manager Janette Smith wrote in a letter to Defund HPS they were open to meeting with two identified representatives" from the group. The meeting would be private, the letter said, with no media or livestream.

The coalition declined and pushed for a public meeting, arguing it was in the best interests of the community.

When did the occupation end?

The coalition cleared from city hall on Dec. 7 and took to Main Street East, where organizers proclaimed victory and announced the launch of a new support network for homeless people.

The initiative, dubbed Hamilton Encampment Support Network, hopes to expose a connection between policing and the lack of housing in the city.

Organizers told a crowd of protesters the network will comprise people with lived experiences of police violence and homelessness.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com