Constitutional Rights of Kingston Encampment Residents Must be Respected

TORONTO —  Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, made the following statement:

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is deeply concerned about the potential that unhoused encampment residents at Belle Park might not be allowed to access the belongs and return to their homes which they were forced to vacate due to a police investigation.

More alarming is the potential that the unhoused encampment may be dismantled despite a court ruling that encampment residents have the constitutionally protected right to remain in the encampments overnight.

The Ontario Superior court ruled that enforcement of the municipal bylaw that prohibited encampments of unhoused people overnight was unconstitutional. It would be improper to attempt to dismantle the unhoused encampment during the daytime without seeking an injunction from the courts.

The rights of unhoused encampment residents at Belle Park must be respected and the City of Kingston must ensure that the encampment is not unlawfully dismantled. We urge the Kingston Police Services to make a commitment not to assist in any unlawful enforcement that removes the unhoused encampment residents from Belle Park.

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 About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.

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