A roving protest camp has finally left Oak Bay 2 weeks after they initially promised. And now Oak Bay police are speaking out about what the community had to endure.
Protesters repeatedly promised to leave the community within 7 days -- but spent 3 weeks in various locations -- the latest, by the community cenotaph.
In a news release Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties says protesters repeatedly broke their word and says police tolerated weeks of threats of a violent confrontation police took action.
Officers warned campers they would have to be gone by 11am on October 31st to allow the Parks Department to prepare the Cenotaph area for the upcoming Remembrance Day event -- adding this year Parks Staff will have to do additional cleaning to ensure the site is safe. But before they left a tribute bench was vandalized with spray paint, something that will cost $1500 to replace.
Bernoties says there's been increasing concern over deteriorating conditions in the park and police received reports of people defecating and urinating in the park, a house broken into in very close proximity to the park, other B&E attempts.
Bernoties says the park has been partially cleaned by Oak Bay's Parks Dept and a Hazmat team but preparations for Remembrance Day will continue for several days. At other sites where the campers were BC Hazmat helped clear the sites, finding contaminated drug paraphernalia -- including needles.
Bernoties says the fact that needles potentially containing Fentanyl were found should serve as a warning to other municipalities.