Occupy protesters told to shape up or ship out
Posted Nov 7, 2011 05:45:43 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Cities across Canada are tiring of the month-long Occupy protests, and some may soon be headed for confrontations.
Officials in Victoria and Quebec City have told tent-dwellers to clear out Monday, citing safety concerns, and noting the encampments are preventing others from using public areas.
Here in the Capital the Mayor won’t put a stop to the occupation in Confederation Park which is National Capital Commission land. A spokesperson for Jim Watson said the Mayor will leave that decision to the federal government.
Ottawa Public Health deemed the local tent city safe and it’s likely the occupation will stay on. Many residents in the capital, however, don’t mind. They say demonstrators are not bothering anyone and should be allowed to stay, although many don’t really understand why they are there.
“My wife and I have been discussing this for over a month now and we don’t have it figured out,” says Dale. “It’s a protest for the sake of protesting I guess, but we really don’t understand.”
The protesters in Quebec City vow to stay put, setting the stage for a possible showdown with police.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson declared the camp in his city unsafe after the weekend death of a female protester and a recent fire-hazard warning.
He’s asked police and fire officials to figure out how to get rid of the camp as soon as possible in a safe and peaceful manner.
In Halifax, protesters said they’ll vacate a public square for a Remembrance Day ceremony, but plan to return once the ceremony’s over.
Protests, inspired by Occupy Wall Street and denouncing corporate greed, are also ongoing in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary.
