Council shouldn’t allow another tent city

The tent city on the boulevard of Blanshard Street has doubled over the course of three days.

In the same way that tenters were encouraged to camp at the courthouse, since it didn’t fall under city bylaws, they are being encouraged to tent at Topaz Park under the guise of protest and freedom of speech.

I agree with the sanctity of freedom of speech, but we have bylaws in Victoria that specifically forbid daytime tenting in the parks, as well as tenting any time on the city boulevards. There is no reason why the protest cannot take place without the addition of tents. Protest does not justify the establishment (once again) of a lawless ghetto that quickly becomes a vortex of crime, disorder, and a health and environmental hazard.

Given the horror story of the courthouse tent city, one would think that the city officials would have made every effort to nip this tent village in the bud. Instead, we have correspondence from the mayor and Coun. Ben Isitt indicating that they are comfortable with assurances from the woman who set up the protest tent city, that she intends to leave after seven days.

Really? They are negotiating outside the legality of their own bylaws? Are they not obliged to support the bylaws that they voted on?

Enough already! Barbara Wiggins Victoria