Oak Bay cenotaph protest camp removed for Remembrance Day preparations
Police take down tents after deadline passes at latest location for roving encampment
Oak Bay police have removed a protest camp next to the community's war memorial that was set up to protest the lack of affordable housing in Greater Victoria.
Last week, Oak Bay police gave the campers a deadline of 11 a.m. Oct. 31 to move from their latest location to allow preparations for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the site.
"We've been increasingly concerned that conditions at the park have been deteriorating," Oak Bay Deputy Police Chief Ray Bernoties said in a statement.
Bernoties said a tribute bench located at the camp had been spray painted. He called it "an incredibly disrespectful act and will cost approximately $1,500 to replace."
Last week police cited problems at the site including defecation, discarded hypodermic needles and a break-in at a nearby home.
Bernoties said the cleanup will take several days.
The campers moved to Uplands Park about a week earlier, after spending two weeks at Oak Bay's Willows Beach.
Before Oak Bay, the campers staked their tents in several other Greater Victoria communities to protest the lack of affordable housing in the region.