In a dramatic live video posted on Facebook, it appears that the organizer of the roving tent city has been arrested.
Camp organizer and leader Chrissy Brett went live on Facebook at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Saturday afternoon from the homeless camp’s new location at Woodwynn Farms in Central Saanich.
In the video, Brett appears to be standing behind a fence surrounded by police officers, reportedly from the Central Saanich and Saanich detachments.
Upon seeing that the officers were carrying weapons, she began to taunt them by repeatedly shouting things like “You wanna shoot me? Go ahead and shoot me!”
The final frame of the video shows an officer cutting off her video and telling her that she is under arrest.
Online sources suggest that officers may be in the process of taking other members of the encampment into custody as well.
Central Saanich police released a statement stating that officers, with the help of the Greater Victoria Crowd Management Unit, arrested a total of 10 individuals who have been charged with mischief.
They were subsequently released on conditions including not to return to the property.
Check out the footage below:
Background
According to a release from the Central Saanich Police, about ten individuals removed the gates and drove their vehicles onto the former Woodwynn Farms property located at 779 West Saanich Rd. The property is currently managed by the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation.
Officers met with the Chrissy Brett and other members of the encampment on Friday and instructed them to vacate the premises, in accordance with instructions from BC Housing representatives.
After these instructions were ignored by the campers, officers attempted to speak with them again on Saturday morning, however the group “chose to barricade the entrance to the property”.
