Montreal activists pack up tent city for second time
Group FRAPRU trying to raise awareness about lack of low-rent housing
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- Montreal police enforce eviction order
- Officers hand out tickets to some protesters
For the second day in a row, a group of social-housing activists tried to set up a tent city to raise awareness about a lack of low-rent housing — and then had to dismantle it after an eviction order.
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This time, the protesters pitched their tents on a stretch of grass near the corner of Pine Avenue and St-Denis Street.
But Montreal police Sgt. Jean-Bruno Latour said the province gave an eviction notice to the protesters at 2 p.m. this afternoon. The protesters were given until 3 p.m. to leave.
At least five protesters were arrested and then released with tickets after police followed through on the eviction order.
Evacuated social housing protesters took to streets of plateau, several arrested <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcmtl?src=hash">#cbcmtl</a> <a href="http://t.co/uTjlDL3Jfe">pic.twitter.com/uTjlDL3Jfe</a>
—@EmilyBrassSaillant said the protesters may use another strategy to raise awareness or look for yet another space to occupy.
Yesterday, police gave a group of about 100 people until 4 p.m. to take down their tents.
Some said they would cooperate, while others said they would keep their tents up in protest.
By 5 p.m., three men had been arrested.
Four year wait for social housing
Saillant's group is upset about federal and provincial government cuts to social housing in recent years.
Quebec will build only half as many units as planned for 2015, Saillant said.
He said more than 53,000 people are currently on a list for social housing with an average waiting period of four years.
Many protesters say the lack of housing makes getting out of poverty next to impossible.