VANCOUVER – The death of a woman at the Occupy Vancouver camp means the site has become so unsafe that it must be shut down as soon as possible, says Vancouver’s mayor.
Gregor Robertson said Saturday night he’s instructed city officials and the chiefs of the fire and police departments to look at how that can be done safely and peacefully.
The 20-year-old woman was found unresponsive in a tent at the site in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday afternoon, two days after a man suffered a non-fatal overdose at the encampment.
“There is a serious problem here and we want to address it urgently,” Robertson said.
The woman’s death is tragic and is also upsetting for him because he has a 20-year-old daughter, he said.
Occupy Vancouver supporters tried to drown him out as he spoke to reporters, with one woman shouting that at least his daughter has a home.
“I think the protest on the really important issues that many of us are passionate about is being undermined by a tent camp and the issues around the right to camp on public space, which is really unfortunate,” Robertson said.
“And now we have a critical incident that demonstrates there’s life safety at risk here.”
Robertson said the city is considering a number of options that include a possible injunction to end the encampment.
Const. Jana McGuinness of the Vancouver Police Department said neither the cause of the woman’s death nor her identity are being released as police try to contact her family.
Several people at the protest site said the woman died of a drug overdose and heckled Robertson to provide more funding for addiction services and the homeless.
He told them the city has an outreach worker for the homeless and anyone at the site who doesn’t have a home can be accommodated.
McGuinness said police are facing a challenging situation as officials work to try and end the Occupy Vancouver camp.
“Officer safety and the safety of the protesters is paramount as well,” she said, adding discussions in the coming days will involve people at the camp.
“We’re hoping for co-operation should that time come,” she said. “We want it to go smoothly. We don’t want to see anybody be hurt.”
Last week, the fire department ordered tents to be spaced further apart and for tarps to be removed so they could be accessed in case of an emergency.
But some campers said the orders were merely suggestions and that they didn’t have to follow them.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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