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Demoviction protesters removed or arrested from Burnaby, B.C., apartment

Jul 20, 2016 | 3:15 PM

BURNABY, B.C. — Police have arrested seven people who occupied an empty apartment building in Burnaby, B.C., for nearly two weeks to protest recent evictions making way for a condo development project.

Natalie Knight said she and the others who have been protesting the so-called demovictions were asleep Wednesday morning when about 20 RCMP officers came into the building.

“One of us woke up when they heard the window smash,” she said.

The protesters had been living in the building, owned by Amacon Development Corp., for 12 days.

Burnaby RCMP said in a statement that officers were enforcing a court injunction granted last week when protesters were cleared from the building.

“Protesters co-operated with police and there were no issues during the arrests,” Sgt. Derek Thibodeau said.  

Four people were released at the scene and three, including Knight, were taken to the RCMP detachment.

They were later released after signing an agreement saying they will stay away from the property. The police statement said RCMP are not currently considering criminal charges.

If the protesters break the agreement, however, they may be forced to appear in court on civil contempt charges.

But staying away from the building won’t stop the group from fighting for affordable housing, Knight said.

“We’re going to continue organizing in the Metrotown area. This isn’t going to go away.”

The group is calling for an end to demovictions, where apartment buildings that provide affordable rental housing are demolished so new condo towers can be built.

Knight said the city has been rezoning pieces of property where there are currently small apartment buildings offering rental housing.

“What city council has been saying is that there’s nothing they can do, that it’s a supply and demand problem,” she said.

“But that’s not true at all. City council’s role and planners’ role is to regulate these things … What we’re asking for is a very simple thing. Stop rezoning.”

The Canadian Press