Abbott says workers who took down tent encampment wore masks to prevent harassment online | CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2024 11:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 6

Cabinet minister John Abbott says workers contracted by the Newfoundland and Labrador government to clear out the tent encampment at Colonial Building on Friday wore balaclavas so they wouldn't be targeted on social media. 

The workers covered their faces as they dismantled a St. John's encampment that had been in place for six months, with the police standing nearby in case the situation escalated.

Some have criticized the government for allowing its workers to shield their identities, but Abbott said Monday morning that it was a necessity.

"That was for their safety as well and so that they wouldn't be targeted on social media, as I and others have been," Abbott said. "So that was just for their safety and no more than that. And that's not ideal, but that's the situation we're in."

CBC News has requested comment from Tent City For Change, the group that was protesting housing conditions alongside the residents living in tents at the site.

Members of Premier Andrew Furey's government have been critical of those protesters in recent weeks, saying they were content to leave people in tents while the government was trying to get people into safer accommodations.

Protest organizers have panned the province's use of emergency shelters as a solution, saying people feel safer in tents and deserve better housing options. 

Gregory McCain, who was living in the encampment, told The Canadian Press he lost his tent when the province ordered equipment be taken down. He was able to keep his belongings, but said he wouldn't stay in "disgusting" for-profit shelters and has pitched another tent somewhere else.

Minister gives police 'full credit' for tent city handling, says residents' belongings at RNC headquarters

On Monday, Abbott — the former housing minister — said they had to bypass protesters or organizers with the Tent City For Change group and speak directly to people staying in tents.

"'Tent City for Change' is a protest slogan," he said. "That's exactly what was happening there. So we had to cut through that noise to get to the individuals themselves."

WATCH |  Minister John Abbott says this is why people wore masks taking items from tents:

Tent encampment dismantled by police, people in hazmat suits

Abbott said he felt the government had done the work it needed to do to ensure people were given safer options so they could take down the encampment.

"Now, the protest organizers — no, they did not agree," Abbott said. "They never agreed with anything we were doing. They were quite content to leave the status quo. We weren't."

Abbott said some people have been moved into apartments, supportive living arrangements, the former Airport Inn, or emergency shelters. 

He said they became "more aggressive" in the last two weeks to work with residents of the encampment to find them suitable alternatives. 

Friday's removal sparked a protest of its own. Protester Jeremy Nolan told The Canadian Press — while holding a sign that read Eyes on Tent City — that residents of the encampment have the right to housing, and they right to refuse shelter options offered by the province.

Abbott wanted encampment deemed unsafe months ago

The province said it moved in to end the encampment when it became unsafe. When asked why that determination was made now and not in the dead of winter, Abbott said it was a fair question.

"That was certainly a concern of mine right from the get-go," he said. "I knew, and based on my visits there and talking to individuals, that it was not safe. But it took a while for everybody to really reach that same conclusion."

Abbott was critical of substance use at the site, saying it was contributing to the safety concerns he had for residents.

"There were behaviours down there [that were] not safe. Drugs were being brought in. Alcohol was being brought in. Those kinds of things [were] not conducive for people to make decisions to allow them to, really, I guess from my perspective, assess what were the appropriate options for them."

Abbott, who is also the MHA for the area, said the province is going to be more strict on tent encampments on public land in the future. He said they will continue to work with people to find them a place to stay but will enforce a no-loitering policy when needed.

"The forcible side, obviously, we want to avoid at any cost, but, you know, if the situation arises we will deal with that. But we want to be respectful of the individual."

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With files from The Canadian Press