Trinity-Bellwoods encampment evictions 'reasonable, firm, but compassionate:' Tory
Toronto Mayor John Tory defended the actions of police and private security tasked with evicting several dozen homeless people from Trinity-Bellwoods Park on Tuesday, saying it was “mostly peaceful,” despite police using pepper spray, horses and at one point encircling people with metal fences.
After issuing trespass notices at the encampment 10 days earlier, police, shelter administration and private security guards descended on the west-end park on Tuesday to remove about 25 people who live in tents in the park and refer them to shelters or city-paid hotel rooms.
Protesters gathered in defence of the encampment dwellers, and city crews began erecting a large blue metal fence around the area, they claimed to help facilitate cleaning.
There were clashes between demonstrators and police, some who were on horseback, some clad in full riot gear, and pepper spray was reportedly used against those demonstrating.
Police later said three people were arrested at the scene, one for assaulting a peace officer, another for weapons possession.
Also detained was nationally-recognized photojournalist Ian Willms, who was documenting the evictions.
The Canadian Association of Journalists issued a statement calling Willms’ detention “a complete overreaction.”
“I stand by what we have done which is a reasonable, firm, but compassionate way of dealing with this where we offer, and we offer, and we offer ways to take people safely indoors to housing, but there does come a time when it comes to camping in parks, which is unsafe and illegal, where you have to take action,” Tory told CP24
He said he was not involved in determining details of police deployment and tactics but otherwise supported their actions.
“I support what they did and I think it mostly went quite peacefully.”
Tory said that there were no active outbreaks of COVID-19 in any city shelter facility anymore, and that city workers had made thousands of attempts to convince encampment dwellers to come inside over the past year.
“We’re quite insistent that it’s no place for people to be in a park in terms of their own safety and besides which it is illegal,” he told CP24.
Activists and one encampment dweller told CP24 on Tuesday that shelters are still considered to be crowded, with the threat of physical violence and theft all too common.
Tory said most people who agreed to leave an encampment lately were offered a hotel room.
“They’re offered a hotel room, this is not something that can be seen to be unsafe.”
Tory later told reporters at a news conference that fences and police were required to deal not with the homeless in the park, but people they expected would come to protest their eviction.
“I didn’t decide on and wasn’t asked for my opinion on fences, but they were there to protect the safety of the city workers, both parks and recreation and streets to homes workers, who were there to speak to the remaining people experiencing homelessness and to try to convince them yet again to come inside and try to protect their safety, against what we had been warned were people who would come out and try and create a direct confrontation between those people.”
The evicted persons were allowed to bring two bags of possessions with them if they agreed to vacate, with the rest of the items found in the encampment to remain at the park for pickup later.
Each person was to be offered meals, harm reduction, physical and mental health supports and access to a housing worker.
A spokesperson said 12 people living outdoors at Trinity-Bellwoods on Tuesday accepted offers of space in shelters or hotels.
Net spending on shelter and re-housing in Toronto is up from $365.8 million pre-pandemic in 2019 to $663.2 million this year.
Tory said the budget numbers indicate Toronto is “working harder than any city government” on the issue of shelter and housing supports.
On Wednesday, a woman in her 60s was arrested trying to break through the fencing in the park, reportedly to gather her belongings that were still stuck inside.
She was charged for trespassing and given a $50 ticket.
Tory told reporters Wednesday he expected a full review of how these evictions are carried out is likely already underway.
“I am sure that in the aftermath of this incident or series of events yesterday, I am sure there will be a full review of how you could do anything like this better if there was to be a next time. I am sure that is happening without me even asking.”
TORONTO POLICE RELEASES STATEMENT
The Toronto Police Service issued a statement Wednesday afternoon about its role in Tuesday's encampment clearing. It said that they were at the site to ensure public safety by using a "proportionate response, with an emphasis on de-escalation."
"Our resources were adjusted throughout the day as more protestors travelled to the site for the purpose of interfering with the clearing of the encampment. Protestors out-numbered encampment residents, creating an increasingly unstable and unsafe environment for them and for city staff," the statement read.
"Throughout the day, when requested to do so, our officers responded with the least amount of force necessary. Officers were measured in their response and the physical removal of anyone from the area was used as a last resort; after multiple cautions and requests for cooperation were ignored. There were no injuries reported."
TPS added that body-worn cameras and a drone were used to assess the situation.
The service is also defending the arrest of Willms, saying that officers told protesters and media multiple times that they were not allowed to access the area inside the fence.
TPS said the photojournalist climbed over the fence, ignoring police orders, and was arrested without incident.
"The Toronto Police Service respects the media's right to report on police activity and recognizes the media as an essential service. It is clear from the widespread media coverage that visible access to the area was not compromised," the statement read.
"Media are not exempt from restrictions put in place for people's safety in the same way they are not permitted to enter other police or crime scenes."
TPS said Willms was later released with no charges.
Anyone who does not agree with the actions of police at Trinity Bellwoods Park may file a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.
Meanwhile, police said they are investigating a report that a journalist was surrounded by protestors and was assaulted with an object.
"With any operational response of this size, the service debriefs for the purpose of making any adjustments, if necessary, to its next deployment," the statement read.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.