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TDRC Media Releases |
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August
27, 2002 “We will not be moved... Until
there is housing” Tent
City under Duress -- Threats of eviction, police Rally
and Press Conference Tent City, the village that Canada’s homeless disaster built is being threatened with evictions, police harassment and inadequate facilities. Police entered Tent City last week, ostensibly to investigate the “stealing of electricity.” Police entered homes saying they “did not need a search warrant”. When a resident protested and his dog barked at them, witnesses heard police threaten to kill the dog. Police spoke to Beric German of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) and separately to a Tent City resident and said “soon people will be out of here”. The reality is that Tent City residents need more aid including electricity, toilets, and food. They need the simple necessities for the site to meet international refugee camp standards and to fulfill basic public health criteria. As one resident put it, referring to police actions and lack of health standards, “we are not animals.” It has been over one year since the City agreed to a plan to house Tent City residents. No land has materialized to fulfill that task. In the meantime, there have been hostel closings, and numerous police sweeps of homeless people from parks and alleys, even during the Pope’s visit. The result has been that Tent City has swelled to over 100 people. Not incidentally, the village of Tent City is saving the hostel system at least $100,000 a month and a million dollars a year. This would be a substantial down-payment to house all the people on a new site. Tent City residents and supporters will gather on Wednesday August 28, at 10am to speak out about these matters. They will also sing a resounding old and appropriate song “We shall not be moved.”For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net -30- |