Arrests as Halifax cops evict Occupy protesters

In Halifax, Remembrance Day turned into a nasty showdown between city officials and Occupy protestors, with occupiers accusing the mayor of a sneak attack. Todd Battis reports.

CTV News Channel: Peter Kelly, Halifax mayor

The mayor of Halifax says he supports protesters but they aren't allowed to set up tents at public parks due to costs and operational issues.

CTV Atlantic Extended: Occupy N.S. eviction

WARNING: May contain strong language. Police have moved in on Victoria Park to ensure Occupy N.S. vacate the area. Some protesters have been arrested as police try to get things under control.

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Protesters remove tents at the Occupy Nova Scotia camp in Halifax on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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CTVNews.ca Staff

Date: Fri. Nov. 11 2011 9:55 PM ET

Halifax police arrested 15 people Friday and took down tents at the site of a local Occupy Nova Scotia protest, hours after the city marked Remembrance Day.

The protesters had set up their encampment in a downtown park last week, after the city asked them to relocate from the nearby cenotaph where annual Remembrance Day celebrations were to take place.

The arrests occurred hours after the ceremony ended, when some protesters refused to leave the park protest site and a stand-off with police ensued.

"I am a taxpayer of Nova Scotia and I'm being arrested for occupying Nova Scotia," said protester Miles Howe, as he was being handcuffed in the rain.

Police Chief Frank Beazley said that the arrested protesters could face obstruction charges, after the city announced Friday that protesters were breaking bylaws and had to leave.

"While the Halifax Regional Municipality has respected the Occupy Nova Scotia participants' right to a peaceful assembly and their right to have their issues known publicly, it is now time to return Victoria Park, the Grand Parade and other HRM parks to the public at large," the statement said.

The notice from chief administrative officer Mike Labrecque also said it is illegal to camp in municipal parks, and that people are barred from the parks between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they have written permission from the city.

Protesters still have the right to protest peacefully in parks during normal hours, the statement said.

Mayor Peter Kelly said that while he support the right to protest, the Occupy group "won't be able to use their tents to do it."

The city opted to evict demonstrators partly because the weeks-old protest had cost the city about $40,000 as of Thursday, Kelly told CTV News Channel.

By Friday night, the camp had been packed up and the group had moved to a nearby church to plan what their next move will be.

Some among them claimed victory after police moved on the camp, arguing that it would boost support for their cause.

"People have come together to support us and thanks to the mayor, I think that he's only made us stronger," said protester Struan Ford.

Their supporters appear to include New Democrat MLA Howard Epstein, who said the decision to evict the protesters on Remembrance Day "is a disgrace and undermines the very rights and freedoms our veterans fought for."

Last week, the protesters were asked to clear out of the Grand Parade so city staff could prepare the location for Remembrance Day ceremonies, which are held there every year.

They complied, moving to Victoria Park, but said they planned to return to the Grand Parade after Remembrance Day.

Kelly said that would not be permitted.

With a report from CTV's Atlantic Bureau Chief Todd Battis and files from The Canadian Press

Comments are now closed for this story

Will
said
0 0

Well done to the Halifax Police. About time somebody grew a pair to bang together and did their jobs. Now, perhaps the rest of our cities could follow suit? Message to campers: you speak for no one but yourselves. Grow up and make a contribution to this society.

Noel Taussig
said
0 0

Pathetic, I am shamed to live where this happens. We are the maritimes, we are a picture of tolerance and acceptance for the whole country and the world beyond that. Sad sad day, a disgusting mark on a day that was supposed to be about celebrating courage and honour, the qualities we are all proud of as Canadians, we are better then this. Shame!

Noel Taussig
said
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On remembrance day? Shame! I would like to see where $40,000 went into dealing with the occupiers. I saw city workers show up to clean up for them and they were standing around with nothing to do because grand parade was spotless. Peter Kelly is a fool.

ShenLi
said
0 0

We as Canadians have a right to protest. It's the law. But we don't have the right to break other laws. The city could have handled this better, but the protesters never had the right to camp out or to be aggressive to passers-by.

Prof. Pye Chartt
said
0 0

Today we paid respect to, and showed our humble appreciation for, the brave men and women who sacrificed for our country, and became known as the "Greatest Generation." The "Occupy" protesters, and certainly what pathetic scraggling is left of them, appear to represent the "Entitled Generation," and believe that the former generation worked selflessly hard to somehow ensure that they could act as though their unique "rights" extend to doing whatever they want, wherever they want, for as long as they want, without regard for law or others. A day of such marked contrast.

paula greenwood
said
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I can not belive we live in a police state!! Wow, shocker what went on at Victoria Park, the day, the rain, when a lot of us were standing respectful, in the rain, then for this to happen, is embarasing,scary, frightening. When the people we were honoring, fought for the right, then police action like that, time for one more to get involved!!! Discusted and embarased, Paula greenwood

M. Thibault
said
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A little while ago on some newscast I heard a veteran saying he was ok with the occupy movement! Our veteran fought and died to save our liberty, to save OUR rights and OUR democracy.Now, after the "occupier" agreed to peacefully leave the site the city needed for celebration of Nov 11, the city decide to evict them without further notice.Sad to see what world we live in.... city official pulled the financial card saying the occupy movement cost money to the city which is a lie, the protester have received donations for supporting their needs and try to be as self-sustainable as possible not using more or less then any other visitors to any park within the city.

jazzycolleen
said
0 0

I am very confused about the Council "vote" to remove the occupiers. I cannot find any record of that, but surely the Mayor's statement that they are simply enforcing a bylaw would not have required a vote.
Shame on our leaders for taking such an action on Remembrance Day on a dreadfully rainy day which they used to push faces into mud...

b83hawk
said
0 0

Mayor Kelley Thank you for doing whats right instead of what might have been politically right good job need more like you in politics

99�20apparently.
said
0 0

Maybe if they had used their own legs, they wouldn't have had to be dragged. How else where the police supposed to get these people out of a public park? This is getting to be a bit much. From a university student, I think there is a more mature way to go about protesting..

Phil R., Ontario
said
0 0

I agree with the protesters right to protest. But not their right to camp out in city parks and squares. The city parks and squares are for everyone to enjoy, not for protesters to take over and do as they see fit. So I agree with city officials and police for removing them and fining them as necessary. And really, what did this Occupy protest accomplish - absolutely nothing!!

JamesOilers
said
0 0

Occupy Protesters should go home and forget the whole thing , because city, provincial and federal politicans will not listen to them as long as they keep occupying the park.

Sally ML
said
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This display by the city of Halifax was a display of Man's inhumanity to man...these Cndn Citizens have the right to a peaceful protest. It this not what my father and other veterans, past and present fought for..the right to freedom of speech, the right to protest the overbearing and unfair establishment? This arrest is shameful, especially on Remembrance Day!

Jim Steeves
said
0 0

I hope the police feel like real big men picking on innocent people with the right to protest.

I hope all you people who keep crapping all over these protestors really enjoy being slaves for the rich and the government. Without people like this, we will always be slaves to them and will never get ahead.

I guess this is power to the pigs today. Tim Hortons must have been closed. Public property means it is paid for by us, tax payers, which means we should all have access to it.
I hope Mayor Kelly is escorted away soon.

Judith
said
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What a shame. I am really disappointed in Mayor Kelly who I usually respect. To have protesters removed from Victoria Park on Remembrance Day was very ironic. My great grandfather fought for freedom and the freedom to protest against injustice is one of the greatest freedoms we have in a democracy. The movement of the police against protesters today stands sharp and ugly against the backdrop of Remembrance Day.

J Muise
said
0 0

I am so disappointed in the mayor and his cronies for the lies told to these protesters. Prior to today I thought that counsel was behaving honourably and acting as good role models for these citizens. How we instil trust in the disenfranchised if they are repeatedly lied to. Hugely disappointing display of abuse of power.

Biff
said
0 0

Once again the Halifax police have had a nice beating session on peacefull people who were not causing any harm. they are fantastic at beating people but terrible at solving murder and crime 40 plus unsolved murders ! common.. As for the Mayor.. he really showed he is cowardly by not playing it straight down the middle and telling them it is time to go.. sneaky

cher
said
0 0

Guess what? Freedom belongs to everybody, not just those members of society you think should have it.

They handled this the wrong way.
None of us have the courage to actually protest gas prices, electricity prices.... but if we did, the authorities will come in, your voice will be silenced. But I guess we are too busy being productive members of society to care. We'll just complain online, from our cozy living rooms and nothing will change.

All ears
said
0 0

So now it's the mayor's fault, man some of the posters here need to renew their prescriptions! What did they want from this protest? If you can't answer that question, then they were simply loitering with a poor excuse. The park is for everyone and you can't camp there......any other questions?

Taxpayer
said
0 0

Way to go, Peter!!!

paula greenwood
said
0 0

just realized I live in a police state, shocking, dissapointing and SCARY, WOW, we are going out now to support the people in Victoria Park, because we have the freedom to do so, and the mayor, to let that happen, he had my vote , the police, I am not sure, I am discusted, shamed to be a Haligonian , . How many lives were lost to be able to speak their mind, then the dragging thru the mud, on November 11, Guess I'll be arrested tomorrow!!!

DavidGB
said
0 0

Now Ottawa - get off your "Duff" and get them out of our city....I am sick and tired of these unemployed bums and vagrants taking our public place hostage....Oh and they are against corporations...then burn your Coleman tent and stop buying Starbucks and Tim Hortons

Mary
said
0 0

I was quite ashamed to think the police had no better manners than to wreck havoc with Remembrance Day. I wonder how the fallen soldiers would have reacted to the mob scene we saw on telivision. We are loosing our freedoms bit by bit. The truth is the greed is escalating and the poor are getting poorer. The oil prices need to go down so we can live and people with children can feed their families.

Don Holmes
said
0 0

I think that Mayor Kelly was un-just in leading the Occupiers on, if he was going to enforce anything it should have been done from the start.I do not really understand yet what the Occupier's are trying accomplish but maybe" WE " the people have finally had enough of HIGHER POWER RATES, HIGHER FUEL PRICES and LOW WAGES and this is a taste of whats to come. Complaining about these problems wont help us we need to TAKE A STAND TOGETHER ITS THE ONLY WAY FOR CHANGE!!!

Mike
said
0 0

Right move, wrong day. The Remembrance day stories should have stayed the headline today.

Mike Dallien
said
0 0

While I may not agree with the Occupy Nova Scotia movement, I feel they have been grossly ill-used by the mayor. The spirit of negotiation displayed by His Honor in the days leading up to today would suggest that he come to Victoria Park and advise the protesters of the requirement to remove their tents...instead he sent the police....and that was cowardly and shameful on your part, Mr. Mayor!

Blair
said
0 0

I think the only violent actions I seen today were by the halifax police. They should be ashamed of themselves. not all but alot of them are crazies with a badge.

Dave in F'ton
said
0 0

I'm not saying I disagree with the city's decision, the generation of people associated with this movement was told growing up that they should go to college and seek big jobs so they didn't have to flip burgers at McDonalds, and now everyone wants to call them entitled because they don't want to flip burgers!

Robert
said
0 0

Starting to sound more like martial law then bi law to me.So the parks have a curfew.When will the streets also have one?

joe taxpayer
said
0 0

It's about time! I wonder how many of these protesters voted? I wonder how many of these protesters know what actually caused the collapse of the world economy? I wonder how many of these protesters know what Gross Debt Service and Total Debt Service mean? I wonder if these protesters realize that the Canadian banking system is one of the best in the world? I wonder.... oh wait, what were they protesting again?

Sherri
said
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i think this is disgusting, especially on Rememberance Day. I guess we only pay lip service to freedom.

n. floyd hawkins
said
0 0

they aren't representative of the 99 percent, they're just a different 1 percent.time to go to work like the rest of us.

Beverly MacKenzie
said
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I think Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly should be ashamed of himself!! While I agree that Occupy NS has run its course and should be gone, he agreed to allow them to go to Victoria Park or the Commons, whichever, while the Veterans had their service today. So what does he do??? Decides they are breaking By-laws and chooses today to have the police forcibly remove them!! Could he have not waited until tomorrow????

JBC
said
0 0

Good! Now the remaining 99 percent of Halifax residents can enjoy these spaces again. Especially those wishing to observe Remembrance Day activities.

Dr Emily Marshall
said
0 0

I am ashamed that Mayor Peter Kelly would move to evict and arrest the peaceful occupy protesters from Victoria Park. After the good faith they showed is volunarily moving for rememberance day services, it is disturbing that Mayor Kelly would make this move without warning or discussion. And on this day, of all days, when we remember and give thanks to those who fought for our right to free speech and peaceful protest.

Average Canadian in NS
said
0 0

I'm loving every minute of this. I don't mind them protesting because they have every right to do this, but when you are they start turning a city park into a camp ground and bringing truck loads of stuff and making the park look tacky it is time for it to end. On a lighter note, I am sure that the protesters would never provoke the police in anyway since they don't condone violence nor respect the so called 99% and their institutions.

donald
said
0 0

what a shame they are tax payers and they own that park NOT city hall. what gives the right of the mayor to move them ? are they destroying the park? shame on the mayor.

prariedog65
said
0 0

go back home and mooch off your parents..

mike
said
0 0

the police are a little ruff u think? thats agaist freedom of rights n speach if u ask me i would sue the police department for beating me up like that . police cant beat n n drag u like this i wanna see they try that with me i beat beating them back .

AV
said
0 0

It sickens me that Mayor Kelly chose today of all days to send in the police to dismantle the protest. Today was about our veterans and those who continue to serve for our rights and freedoms. He should have done it yesterday or any other day.
Shame on you!

jen
said
0 0

good for the authorities! they aren't telling them they can't protest, they are simply saying you have to protest during the day, it's illegal to camp in a city park, everyone knows this so the police kicking them out and making them take down their tends isn't a violation of any rights, it's a matter of safety and public tax dollars. they are complaining about being poor, who is paying for the extra police having to patrol the parks at night trying to keep it somewhat safe? these occupy protesters need to grow up

Jenkins
said
0 0

I support OWS in wall street, but OWS Halifax was just an excuse to have a hipster camp ground and made the movement look bad. Looks like the dream is over.

RB
said
0 0

Time to end them all. As a former Nova Scotian, the city has done the right thing. Now mr Mayor of Saint John show your courage and do the same in Saint John

Your Ancestors Didn't Dress So Hot Either!
said
0 0

I bet if you could all go back in time and look at how your ancestors dressed when they fled the nations they protested against and came to Canada you all would not be to quick to condemn the protesters. And I thought most of you were believers in the adage "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover"?

CC
said
0 0

My advice:Dont waste energy fighting FOR or AGAINST something you know little to nothing about just because popular culture tells you to. Learn something from history. Learn something from passion because it is there for a reason. Believe in the power of advocacy. Form an opinion which you can truly call your own.

Len
said
0 0

Have to agree with Scott from Halifax. The 'Occupiers' have made their point about protesting that there are too many poor people. However, as Scott says, they offer no ideas, are not creative and make it look like they want a free ride in life. Points were made now it's time to decamp and look for a job so that the rest of the city doesn't always have to feed and support them

barbara
said
0 0

today the rights of freedom loving protesters were taken away from them in halifax. could this be a sign of things to come.? are we going to becme an opressed state? people all over this country need to stand up for their righs. there is to big a gap between the rich and poor. the rich have everything and the poor have nothing. protesters are fighting to change that.

reidjr
said
0 0

sara There not telling them they can't protests there just saying they can't camp out in the park.As for the vast majority are behind them not really most who took the poll are but as a rule that means 2,000-4,000 people.

Shauna Murphy
said
0 0

I may not agree with how they are going about with their protest, but did we not just honor the lives of the soldiers who died so that we could all have the right to protest?

Could they not have waited a day for the weather to clear up at the very least? Or were they hoping that doing it on a holiday would somehow have it slip by without anyone noticing?

Paul
said
0 0

Occupy the bush.

gregnb
said
0 0

Finally, thank you Mayor Kelly. Now it will be interesting to see what happens if/when they try setting up tents again, because you know they are going to try and push the police officers buttons under the "freedom of speech" stance. Stand strong and keep them away.

Gord., Nova Scotia
said
0 0

Thanks Halifax Police....how about flying out to Vancouver...they do not know how to deal with their problems...they need to be shown how !Parks are for people to enjoy...the charter does not give protesters the right to occupy !After Vancouver...Toronto need to be shown how it is done.....Thanks again Halifax Police...we have our park back !

steve
said
0 0

the occupy nova scotia movement was tricked into leaving the camp site. it was an understanding that the group would be allowed back after the legion finished with it. now it seems this is not the case. this sure is not a free country. things have to change to meet the needs of the people.

jovis
said
0 0

Today we remember not only the soldiers but what they fought for. Having an undemocratic police state like the one Herr Harper is slowly enforcing on Canadians is not what they fought and died for

eddytoronto
said
0 0

When Massive inflation hits along with $2.00 litre gas ...This will be a totaly different situation with the middle class in the front of the protest line...

CamilleToews
said
0 0

Looking at the photo, it makes you wnder where they get the 99% idea- none of the people I know are overly wealthy - and they do not wear rainbow striped accessories, or hats with fur (or hair?) sticking our of them to make them look like something out of a Mad Max movie.Do these people really think that anyone is going to take them seriously when they ook like freaks?No wonder they are unemployed and poor- they have an obvious lack of social skills.

sara
said
0 0

this is outragous. this occupy group are citizens and should have the right to protest where and when the group wants to. occupy nova scotia was kind and considerate enough to offer the grand prade area to the legion for their prade on nov 11th and this is how the movement is paied back . it sure seems like the rights of the people are slowly been taken away from us by the government. i hope the mayor of halifax realizes that a vast majority of the people are behind the movement. and will be voting in the next election.

Pugfire
said
0 0

And a damn fine looking group of individuals they are too!!Just the type I'm sure to understand my point of view and express it succinctly to the "establishment".

Gilbert from Kelowna
said
0 0

The mayor says it isn't fair to the other residents? Do the other residents not enjoy freedom of speech? I understand that bylaws need to be respected. Tents and fire hazards shouldn't be able to stand - nobody has those rights. But to say that protesters are being 'unfair' for simply being in the park is wrong. Has the government now decided that when its people are protesting that they may only do so for a certain amount of time? Let the people voice their opinions as long as they want - it is their right. The protesters have just as much right to the park as the other residents. I highly doubt that if other residents tried to use the park that the protesters would stop them unless they were trying to belittle or somehow harm the protest.

gordon coombes
said
0 0

Given Mayor kelley's statement are all these parks off limits to the public after ten PM. So anyone just sitting on a bench in these areas in Halifax after 10PM is breaking the law. So no one should be on the commons across from or beside Citadel Hill after 10 PM. This would also go for Victoria Park. In the twenty odd years I was in Halifax I never heard about this. So the Municipality should add signage and fences to prevent the public entering these areas after 10 PM .

eddytoronto
said
0 0

The Banks will keep reciving the Bail outs if you dont like it too bad...You will pay for it if you dont like it too bad....Now you better get outa here you protesters....You have No rights anymore...Its not a Dream...Get Out and Be Quite of you will be Jailed....

Scott from HALIFAX
said
0 0

Ok so we heard the occupy movements side No plan No agendaNo written outline No ideas for how to changeIf you were a political movement.... you won't get my vote.I am the 99% and Im ashamedGet out of the park and find a better solution

KC
said
0 0

It is about time these people got back to work and stop using this as a means of free food and camping. No sympathy from this 99% worker.

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