20th Street Encampment

The Community Legal Assistance Services for Saskatoon Inner City, or CLASSIC, is raising concerns about the clearing of a local encampment, as well as the arrest and detainment of a housing advocate.

On Thursday, Saskatoon Police cleared over 120 people from an encampment on Avenue K South, only two of which accepted offers of support services, including housing, shelter and transportation. Crews also removed 80 tents and temporary structures and cleared more than 56-hundred kilograms of garbage and debris.

That’s not all. Police also arrested housing advocate, David Fineday, for over 8.5 hours, according to the release, citing “processing” delays as justification for keeping him in custody.

For CLASSIC, “the prolonged detention raises serious concerns about the arbitrary use of police powers and whether the stated administrative process was used to prevent him from returning to the encampment while the police carried out a raid.”

The organization adds that the arrest also prevented Fineday from cemonially taking down his Tipi, which was at the encampment. He was also charged with mischief over $5000, and released on no conditions apart from a promise to appear in Court. His first court appearance is on November 10 at 2:00 p.m.