People trying to stop the clearing of a homeless encampment in D.C. showed up at the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday to protest.
Several dozen people chanted, “Stop the sweep.” They also sang and gave speeches in an effort to try and stop the clearing of a homeless encampment at McPherson Square, which is managed by the National Park Service.
Originally scheduled to happen in April, authorities recently moved the clearing to Wednesday. National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said in a statement, “At the request of and in cooperation with the District’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS), and with ongoing, intensive engagement by the District’s social service providers, the National Park Service (NPS) plans to close the encampment at McPherson Square on February 15.”
Sam Myszkowski, with Sunrise D.C., which opposes the clearing, said “this puts people at risk when we clear parks out during hypothermia season.”
Myszkowski said he thinks D.C. and the park service are not taking into account the human element enough.
“It is a structural problem when we choose to put the appearance of this city over the wellbeing of it’s residents,” Myszkowski said.
The District and park service said the more than the dozens of tents, trash and general poor appearance of the park that’s driving the clearing of McPherson Square.
“In recent months, law enforcement and social service providers have reported increasing levels of violence, illegal drug use, and significant criminal activity associated with the encampment at McPherson Square, which has impeded social services’ outreach and endangered social service providers, mental health clinicians, unsheltered individuals, and the public,” Litterst said.
It’s estimated that some 70 people are currently living in the park.
