encampment

The city was preparing to sweep the street encampment, and this time would be arresting people under a new ordinance that bans camping in public spaces.

“We have horrible, disgusting, dangerous, filthy encampments of junkies and homeless people living in places that our children used to play Little League baseball, which they don’t get to play very much anymore, do they?”

Governments are dismantling encampments — and some are willing to use the notwithstanding clause to circumvent court rulings on their actions — as well as banning supervised drug consumption sites near day-care centres and schools.

The encampment came under a violent attack by counterprotesters in early May, fomenting widespread outrage and attention.

Now the county has its best chance yet to house them in significant numbers and dramatically reduce the prevalence of encampments.