Court denies injunction to stop Abbotsford encampment eviction [Video]

A B.C. Supreme Court justice has denied an interim injunction to stop the City of Abbotsford from enforcing an eviction notice at an encampment outside of city hall.

Justice Sandra Sukstorf rejected the application by the Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society — which is acting on behalf of a group known as Abbotsford Drug War Survivors — but said the city must consider the “significant harm” that could result from displacing vulnerable individuals.

Sukstorf’s judgment says the city issued a trespass notice on Sept. 19 to people living in an encampment that has been occupied since late June.

WATCH | Protesters pushing back against Abbotsford’s order to leave city hall encampment:  Brittany Maple, Executive Director, Matqui Abbotsford Impact Society, says that the campers won’t leave this morning, despite the city’s eviction notice.

The justice wrote that the encampment was established as a protest to the city’s treatment of homeless people.

“Over time, …