Saanich police confirm a roving protest camp has set up in their municipality. Campers showed up in Gyro Park after spending 3 weeks in various Oak Bay locations.
Oak Bay police say the protesters repeatedly broke their word about when they would leave, and threatened violence if police took action. Police also received reports of protesters defectating and urinating in the park, and say break and enters increased in the vicinity.
Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties says he's informed the campers there will be a zero tolerance if they return to Oak Bay - as any goodwill has been broken:
"We will ensure that the bylaw is enforced fully. Which would include the wake up calls, etc, that are done on sort of sporadic homeless people or campers right now. But there'd be no sort of, you know, respectful "okay, well we'll try to just monitor for 7 days", or any of that. Not in Oak Bay. Not again."
Parks Staff and a Hazmat team are cleaning the park to ensure it's safe for the upcoming Remembrance Day event.
Bernoties says otyher municipalities should take note.
Meantime camp organizer, Chrissy Brett, admits it was a protester the vandalized the tribute bench, painting it gold and green. But she believed he was trying to improve it. She also says any camper who left needles behind are no longer a part of the protest camp.
Parents who take their kids to Gyro Park remain wary, with one daycare worker saying she likelyu will not take tyhe chilkdren there while the protesters are there.