Housing activists and police face off outside central station following encampment arrests
A tense standoff between police and affordable housing advocates Friday capped off a week of confrontations over homeless encampment evictions.
The scene, which unfolded Froday afternoon in front of Hamilton police central station downtown, was in direct response to a violent arrest took place moments earlier. Police tackled three people to the ground, according to video from the scene.
Of the roughly 15 advocates stationed themselves out front of 155 King William St., many were the same people who clashed with police Wednesday after homeless residents were evicted from a tent encampment at J.C. Beemer Park on Victoria Avenue North following an explosive fire.
On Friday, they were initally there to demand the release of Sarah Jama, an organizer with the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, who was arrested earlier that day and charged with assaulting a police officer and obstructing police in connection with Wednesday's events. She was released Friday afternoon but protesters stayed put, setting up a tent outside the police station.
It's not clear what happened next but police are seen on video tackling three protesters to the ground.
After that, a line of protesters faced off police, yelling chants like No encampment ban on stolen land" and Black lives matter here." The three arrested were people of colour.
About 30 police formed a line between protesters and the police station. Ten cruisers blocked off part of the street for about 20 minutes. No physical confrontations unfolded, and eventually the bulk of the police officers returned inside. Two officers on police horses remained stationed nearby.
At one point, protesters tried to set up a tent in the middle of the street, blocking traffic on the reopened road. Police told them to move and they did, setting it up across the street.
All three arrested Friday were released later that afternoon or evening.
Police said in a press release that three people had been charged with offences relating to the J.C. Beemer events but it's not clear if all three were the same three arrested outside the station Friday. Two people were charged the day of the evictions.
Katrina Clarke is a reporter at The Spectator. katrinaclarke@thespec.com