RCMP moved in at a Nanaimo school and made arrests today, breaking up the Schoolhouse Squat.
Numerous RCMP officers including special tactical teams arrived just after 10 a.m. Saturday at Rutherford Elementary School where Alliance Against Displacement and residents and supporters of Discontent City homeless camp had been squatting since Friday.
School board chairman Steve Rae thanked RCMP for their quick action.
sa国际传媒淲e understand and acknowledge and respect that theresa国际传媒檚 a homeless problem in this province and we want to help where we can with homeless people. But this is something that is completely different,sa国际传媒� Rae said. sa国际传媒淭his is a group of people who have broken onto our property thatsa国际传媒檚 not been supportive of the real cause, which is homelessness.sa国际传媒�
Though the school closed last June, the school board chairman said sa国际传媒渋tsa国际传媒檚 not for them (squatters) to break into a school building that is owned by the school district, to use for their causes. We will not stand for this.sa国际传媒�
Rae said he hopes there will be consequences.
sa国际传媒淲e are going to have them removed from this property as wesa国际传媒檙e doing right now and wesa国际传媒檙e going to charge them with everything we can so this stops,sa国际传媒� he said.
Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary Osa国际传媒橞rien said 26 people were arrested and taken into custody.
sa国际传媒淏reak-and-enter and mischief at this point,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭here may be secondary charges based on whatever background they have.sa国际传媒�
He said any resistance to the arrests was not enough to be concerning to police and wouldnsa国际传媒檛 result in additional charges.
sa国际传媒淚t went very well. It was quite smooth,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e quite impressed with the fact that within 24 hours of the initial complaint, we had 26 in custody and the situation dealt with.sa国际传媒�
Osa国际传媒橞rien said there were about 40-50 members at the scene Saturday. In addition to general duty officers, there were members of the Vancouver Island Tactical Response Team, Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services and forensic ident.
He said the school district was assessing damage to the school.
Amber McGrath, Discontent City supporter, was observing the arrests Saturday and said sa国际传媒渋tsa国际传媒檚 heartbreakingsa国际传媒� to see.
sa国际传媒淭he people in that building are fighting for everybody in Nanaimo and across the province and the country to have affordable housing and I donsa国际传媒檛 think thatsa国际传媒檚 an unfair thing to fight for,sa国际传媒� she said.
She referenced the 170 units of supportive housing announced by B.C. Housing on Friday and suggested thatsa国际传媒檚 not a satisfactory solution when itsa国际传媒檚 affordable housing thatsa国际传媒檚 needed.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 temporary shelters. Itsa国际传媒檚 not a home. An 8-by-10 cell in a trailer without a kitchen isnsa国际传媒檛 a home; 24-hour wraparound services is a prison,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭hen they say that, that means that you have to take those services whether you want them or not. Itsa国际传媒檚 not attached to the individual, itsa国际传媒檚 attached to the housing.sa国际传媒�
She was asked whether Discontent City would be trying to identify another building suitable for squatting and said she didnsa国际传媒檛 know what next steps might be.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 empty buildings when people are freezing. People are being put out into the bush to die when we have empty government buildings sitting here that people could be in and be warm,sa国际传媒� McGrath said.
There were arguments between Schoolhouse Squat opponents and supporters along Hammond Bay Road.
Squatters being arrested on top of Rutherford Elementary Schoolsa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)
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