‘We won’t forget’: 2 years after teardown, homeless encampments continue in Halifax
Two years ago, Scott Hutchins was on his way to work in Halifax when his bus unexpectedly stopped. He hopped off to find traffic blocked by a commotion in a downtown park — there were police, protesters and the buzz of a chainsaw.
It was Aug. 18, 2021, the day a downtown Halifax homeless encampment was razed and a largely peaceful protest took a rough turn. Riot police clashed with more than 100 demonstrators, some of whom were injured, pepper-sprayed and arrested, as city officials cleared out sheds and tents set up outside the old central library on Spring Garden Road.
As Hutchins sat recently on a low brick wall next to his backpack, sleeping bag and tent, a message was scrawled in yellow chalk on the sidewalk below: “Aug. 18th. We won’t forget,” it read. “Drop the charges.”
The 2021 clash is still fresh in the minds of many. There were criminal charges against protesters, and a review of the police response is underway. But some observers question how much progress has been made confronting Halifax’s homelessness problem. The number of people without a place to call home has grown over the past two years, and tent cities crowd green spaces across the municipality.
Hutchins recently became homeless himself and is currently couch-surfing with friends while he works as a mover to save money to buy an RV. “I would say the problem hasn’t gotten any better in Halifax,” he said. “Obviously, I can say that for myself.”
Asaf Rashid represented 19 people who after the protest faced charges including resisting arrest, obstruction and assaulting peace officers. Four cases went to trial, Rashid said, but for most of his clients, the charges were dropped.
Rashid describes the events of the day as “horrifying,” as his clients
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