Chaos erupted in the Downtown Eastside Tuesday afternoon as City of Vancouver staff began the process of clearing tents and structures from the Hastings Street sidewalk.
Sarah Blyth of the Overdose Prevention Society told Global News that the morning started off quietly with city workers and firefighters working together to try to reduce the mess.
Community members were also there, talking to residents about housing and cleaning up trash.
However, Blyth said the addition of Vancouver police can cause a lot of hostility, as residents of the Downtown Eastside do not trust the police.
Vancouver police say several officers were assaulted during the arrest of a man who caused a disturbance at the Carnegie Centre.
Officers were already nearby due to clearing shops on Hastings Street between Gore Avenue and Abbott Street.
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Officers were called shortly before 3 p.m. by staff at the Carnegie Center who reported a man throwing computers and behaving erratically. As officers were taking him into custody, police said, the man resisted arrest and fought with police. A large crowd gathered and became hostile and combative with officers, police added.
Several police officers were assaulted and multiple arrests were made, police said.
2:12 Chaos as City of Vancouver staff move into East Hastings tent and structures Chaos as City of Vancouver staff move into East Hastings tent and structures
Read more: Chaos erupts on East Hastings Street as Vancouver crews begin clearing tents
Global News cameras captured a large crowd clashing with Vancouver police near the corner of Hastings Street and Main Street.
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A few punches were thrown and projectiles were aimed at the officers.
Blyth said more needs to be done to deal with this situation in a compassionate way.
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“We just have to make sure it’s safe for them and safe for the neighborhood,” he added.
“I think we can do it without involving the police. The police just create chaos, unfortunately.”
Blyth said community members talking to people in the Downtown Eastside is the best way forward, as there is more compassion among those groups.
1:44 Vancouver City Council staff remove tents from East Hastings Previous video Next video
The original fire order to remove the tents came from Vancouver Fire Rescue Chief Karen Fry on July 25.
However, BC Housing said in a statement that they “have been clear with the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services that, on short notice, we do not have access to a large number of new spaces in Vancouver to adapt to the moment of emergency. order.”
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Work to continue clearing the tents and structures is expected to continue Wednesday.
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