Activists, politicians condemn arrests linked to Hamilton encampment protest

Activists, politicians and community members are condemning the arrest of protesters who clashed with police at a homeless encampment in Hamilton, and raising concerns about the "violent" way those facing charges were taken into custody.

Coun. Nrinder Nann, whose ward includes the park where the protest happened, described footage of the arrests as "very troubling" and said they showed "excessive use of force" by police.

Chief Frank Bergen said police believe in the right to peaceful protest, but the "chaotic situation" that led to the arrests "was not a peaceful protest."

It began with a fire at J.C. Beemer Park on Wednesday morning that destroyed tents people had been living in, along with all of their belongings.

Hamilton Police Service said officers arrived to find flames shooting as high as six metres, and explosions caused by propane tanks and generators. Emergency workers pulled several people from nearby tents before the fire spread.

The city and police said the fire, which damaged hydro poles, meant the encampment was not safe and they began to evict the people who had been staying there, after arranging shelter options. 

Members of the Hamilton Encampment Support Network (HESN) showed up with supporters, chanting to protest the evictions and calling for those whose tents were still standing to be allowed to stay.

At one point, demonstrators broke through police tape wrapped around the scene, Bergen said in his statement.

Doing so, he said, "compromised the area established for the safety of workers cleaning the area, encampment residents, city staff and outreach workers."

Two people were arrested that afternoon: a 27-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man.

Photos taken by Hamilton Spectator photographer Cathie Coward show police officers pushing against protesters with linked arms.

'A dynamic situation'

One picture appears to show an officer with a knee on a protester.

When asked about the knee being used, police said the picture showed officers "attempting to gain control" for an arrest in a "dynamic situation."

"A shoulder pin may be used to affect an arrest and is taught at the Ontario Police College," read a statement from the service.

Then, during a Friday encampment eviction at Beasley Park, police arrested HESN member Sarah Jama. That sparked protests outside of the central police station.

Video shows arrests at police station

A video shared by the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) shows protesters chanting about defunding police.

A video appears to show an officer grabbing a member of the group. Shouting begins and police appear to tackle several other crowd members to the ground.

"I saw them put their knee on my friend's neck … We will not accept this treatment of Black youth," HESN member Sabriena Dahab previously told CBC News. "This is not how you build trust."

Yelling continues as one person can be seen in the video being led into the station.

In its tweet, the HCCI described what's shown in the video as "violent attacks" and questions "why are Black youth being arrested when they are advocating for better housing options for residents?"

Police said five people were arrested in connection with the clash at J.C. Beemer. That includes the arrests of three people at the police station, which were made on warrants related to what happened at the park, police spokesperson Jackie Penman said.

A 27-year-old woman and 20-year-old man were each charged with assaulting and obstructing police. A 24-year-old woman was also charged with obstructing police.

Penman said a sixth arrest — a 22-year-old charged with assaulting a police officer — was made outside the central station on Friday, but that was not connected to events at the park.

All of the people who were arrested have since been released.

The encampment support network released a statement Sunday afternoon saying those who were arrested suffered injuries and all charges laid against them "will be fought."

Five of the people who were arrested were released on the condition that they not return to city parks or encampments, the group said.

"These conditions are deeply troubling and an attempt to disrupt and quell the solidarity and support [HESN] has been offering to encampment residents across Hamilton," the network said.

Calls for arrests to be condemned

Videos and photos of the arrests quickly spread on social media, where many criticized what they saw.

Robyn Maynard, an activist and author of a book called Policing Black Lives, took to Twitter to comment on what had happened at the park.

"These arrests yesterday need to be widely condemned," she wrote on Saturday. "Arresting young Black people who are bravely standing up in support of their unhoused neighbours shows us the harm of relying on policing instead of investing in real community safety."

A joint statement from the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, Hamilton Centre MP Matthew Green and human rights lawyers Wade Poziomka and Jennifer Zdriluk said "violent interactions with police" only deepen the divide between community members and officers.

In the statement, they called on police to "exercise proper restraint, deescalate community tensions and ensure" peaceful protests can continue.

Bergen, meanwhile, shared a video statement shortly after 9 p.m. on Saturday.

In it, Bergen said police believe in the right to peaceful protest and "we fundamentally agree that community support and demonstrations must not be criminalized."

But, he added, what took place at J.C. Beemer Park was "not a peaceful protest."

Bergen also said he thanks activists for bringing societal issues to light and said police are committed to working with communities to find ways to address issues around homelessness, mental health and addictions.

Asked whether or not police are considering a review of the use of force used at J.C. Beemer and outside the police station, Penman said officers are trained to use the "minimum force required."

All use of force must be "continually assessed," she said in an email, before pointing to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), which oversees complaints about police in Ontario.

"We encourage anyone with concerns about what transpired to contact the OIPRD."