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City hall encampment remains steadfast despite eviction notice

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Nearly a day after being issued an eviction notice, the tent encampment outside of Hamilton’s city hall remains.

It was around 10 a.m. Monday when city bylaw officers made their way through the settlement and handed out the notice.

READ MORE: Hamilton bylaw issues eviction notices for city hall encampment

The order says that those living in a community of 40 or more outside the municipal buildings forecourt had until midnight to leave.

Included in the violation, several specific infractions for breaking the city’s tent protocol, such as:

  • exceeding five tents per encampment;
  • having more than one tent within 50 metres of another, and
  • being within five meters of a heritage building.

But the encampment isn’t just a place to stay — it’s a protest.

One that’s been going on since the beginning of the month after councillors rejected a proposal that would see the city build affordable homes on a pair of parking lots in Stoney Creek.

Among the sprawl of colourful tents and tarps are cardboard signs calling on the city to do more. Messages like, “political failure” and “Hamilton is inTents,” all on display for anyone passing by.

And those here say they plan on staying.

“We will lock arms and we will not go anywhere,” Angela Vos told CHCH News

READ MORE: Demonstrators camp outside Hamilton City Hall

Still to come is a vote on Wednesday that’s slated to take another swing at the controversial parking lot in Stoney Creek that initially sparked this movement.

“I really don’t think this vote will change anything, and they want to get everybody out of here because they don’t want to see the outrage,” Vos said.

– With files from Simone Gavros and Jason Gaidola