Five more charged after encampment removed at Manitoba Legislature
The Winnipeg Police Service has charged five more people after an encampment was cleared at the Manitoba Legislature on Tuesday.
Police announced Wednesday that they had charged five people with obstructing a peace officer and occupying a tent or portable structure on the legislative grounds after they failed to leave the north encampment on the grounds.
The five charged were Trina Francois, 45; Daniel Jones, 43; Phillip McLennan, 50; Gregory Pittman, 50; and Owen Hall, 54.
This comes a day after seven people were arrested and charged during the removal of the encampment. The WPS said Tyler Demarchuk, 27; Patrick Neilen, 34; Aaron Lee Dumas, 45; Eduardo Alberto Barahona, 55; Krystal Lisa Kerriann Jensen, 35; Monique Cusson, 36; and Ashley Catcheway, 39; were charged with obstructing peace officers and depositing items in the legislative precinct that support extended stay.
None of the charges against any of the 12 arrested have been tested in court.
Police said they also seized multiple weapons from the encampments, including three axes, a machete, a hammer, a spear, body armour, and a three-foot club.
Officers began removing the camp one day after occupants were allegedly bringing in building materials to build a new teepee to expand the camp. Approximately 40 police officers were involved in the removal of the camp, and fencing is now around the site.
'AN EROSION OF COOPERATION'
Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement on Monday that security concerns had escalated over the past few weeks, citing verbal assaults and threats to staff and visitors.
Supt. David Dalal with the Winnipeg Police Service said police had been in contact with people at the encampment, and that there had been a change in the recent interactions.
“What we saw was an erosion of cooperation and an increase in both rhetoric and aggression and a complete unwillingness to be reasonable about restricting expansion around the camp,” he said.
The government passed a law in the spring that forbids encampments on the legislature grounds and bans people from supplying generators, firewood, and other goods.
People who break the rules can be evicted from the grounds and face fines of up to $5,000.
With files from CTV’s Katherine Dow and Jeff Keele
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.