![Seven individuals from the Abbotsford city hall protest encampment stand next to a camping trailer that has a white banner hanging from it. The banner reads, "Drug War Survivors Protest Camp 10 years of inaction! Designate safe space now!" written in red spray paint. Abbotsford city hall is visible in the background. It is a partly cloudy day, and the trees are adorned with green leaves.](https://frequencynews-wpoffloadmedia.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/04105324/Abbotsford-Drug-War-Survivors-protest-encampment-by-Mike-McCulloch-1024x768.jpg)
Abbotsford city hall protest homeless camp wants place to go
A group called Abbotsford Drug War Survivors (ADWS) has established a homeless encampment at Abbotsford city hall in protest, calling on the city to identify land for individuals to camp.
“We request that the City of Abbotsford promptly identifies and designates a specific location within municipal boundaries where unhoused individuals can move to in the wake of the decampment of BC Hydro Lands bordering Gladys [Avenue],” reads the petition linked on ADWS Facebook page.
“We are advocating for the city to designate space where individuals can safely shelter in the interim between homelessness and seeking other permanent housing solutions,” said Brittany Maple, the executive director of the Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society and program coordinator of ADWS.
Abbotsford mayor Ross Siemens said he is, “happy,” the protest encampment moved from its original location at Babich Park and believes city hall is a more appropriate place to protest.
– With files from Aaron Levy