RCMP moved in at a Nanaimo school and made arrests today, breaking up the Schoolhouse Squat.

Numerous RCMP officers including special tactical teams arrived just after 10 a.m. Saturday at Rutherford Elementary School where Alliance Against Displacement and residents and supporters of Discontent City homeless camp had been squatting since Friday.

School board chairman Steve Rae thanked RCMP for their quick action.

乌鸦传媒淲e understand and acknowledge and respect that there乌鸦传媒檚 a homeless problem in this province and we want to help where we can with homeless people. But this is something that is completely different,乌鸦传媒� Rae said. 乌鸦传媒淭his is a group of people who have broken onto our property that乌鸦传媒檚 not been supportive of the real cause, which is homelessness.乌鸦传媒�

Though the school closed last June, the school board chairman said 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 not for them (squatters) to break into a school building that is owned by the school district, to use for their causes. We will not stand for this.乌鸦传媒�

Rae said he hopes there will be consequences.

乌鸦传媒淲e are going to have them removed from this property as we乌鸦传媒檙e doing right now and we乌鸦传媒檙e going to charge them with everything we can so this stops,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O乌鸦传媒橞rien said 26 people were arrested and taken into custody.

乌鸦传媒淏reak-and-enter and mischief at this point,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭here may be secondary charges based on whatever background they have.乌鸦传媒�

He said any resistance to the arrests was not enough to be concerning to police and wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 result in additional charges.

乌鸦传媒淚t went very well. It was quite smooth,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e quite impressed with the fact that within 24 hours of the initial complaint, we had 26 in custody and the situation dealt with.乌鸦传媒�

O乌鸦传媒橞rien said there were about 40-50 members at the scene Saturday. In addition to general duty officers, there were members of the Vancouver Island Tactical Response Team, Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services and forensic ident.

He said the school district was assessing damage to the school.

Amber McGrath, Discontent City supporter, was observing the arrests Saturday and said 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 heartbreaking乌鸦传媒� to see.

乌鸦传媒淭he people in that building are fighting for everybody in Nanaimo and across the province and the country to have affordable housing and I don乌鸦传媒檛 think that乌鸦传媒檚 an unfair thing to fight for,乌鸦传媒� she said.

She referenced the 170 units of supportive housing announced by B.C. Housing on Friday and suggested that乌鸦传媒檚 not a satisfactory solution when it乌鸦传媒檚 affordable housing that乌鸦传媒檚 needed.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 temporary shelters. It乌鸦传媒檚 not a home. An 8-by-10 cell in a trailer without a kitchen isn乌鸦传媒檛 a home; 24-hour wraparound services is a prison,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hen they say that, that means that you have to take those services whether you want them or not. It乌鸦传媒檚 not attached to the individual, it乌鸦传媒檚 attached to the housing.乌鸦传媒�

She was asked whether Discontent City would be trying to identify another building suitable for squatting and said she didn乌鸦传媒檛 know what next steps might be.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 empty buildings when people are freezing. People are being put out into the bush to die when we have empty government buildings sitting here that people could be in and be warm,乌鸦传媒� McGrath said.

There were arguments between Schoolhouse Squat opponents and supporters along Hammond Bay Road.

Squatters being arrested on top of Rutherford Elementary School乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)

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