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Oppenheimer Park campers plan to occupy public washrooms to prevent nightly lock-up

People camping in Oppenheimer Park say they are staying despite eviction notices. Jill Bennett, Global News

Campers protesting the lack of affordable housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are planning to occupy the public bathrooms at the park to prevent them from closing for the night.

Camp organizer from the Haida Nation, Brody Williams, says they need to occupy the washrooms as the Parks Board closes the bathrooms at 4:30 p.m. each day.

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Campers at the park do not have any other bathroom facilites.

The camp has been growing in recent days, up from 10 tents at the start of the protest last week to over 40 today.

On Wednesday, campers and anti-poverty activists attended a city council meeting, pleading with the city to allow them to keep their camp, saying they have little alternative to their SRO rooms, many of which are infested with mice and bedbugs.

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