OPPENHEIMER PARK ENCAMPMENT CLEARED OUT BY VANCOUVER POLICE, CITY

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Published on Tuesday, 21 October 2014 11:20

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BY LINDSAY WILLIAM-ROSS | 11:43 AM PST, THU OCTOBER 16, 2014

Authorities moved in this morning to clear out the encampment at Oppenheimer Park.

The formal eviction notice to the encampment of protesters and the homeless came with a deadline of 10 p.m. Wednesday night, however the Vancouver Police and the City of Vancouver opted to wait until Thursday morning to dismantle the camp.

Wearing body cameras, authorities cleared the camp of people, making room for staff from the City to come in to remove the debris.

Additionally, the City provided the campers with bins for their belongings, and are moving the people into shelters, reports CBC Vancouver.

By late Wednesday night, the City reported they had already successfully relocated over a hundred people from the park to shelters and housing, and that the number of tents was significantly reduced.

A City rep says the campers have been very respectful of the dismantling process.

Wednesday’s slated shut-down was marred by the discovery of a deceased male inside one of the tents. The victim is thought to be a 69-year-old man, and his death is not considered suspicious.

The Oppenheimer Park camp was set up in mid-July by activists as a means to draw attention to the issue of homelessness in Vancouver.