St. Paul to clear out city’s largest encampment, and more headlines
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MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Crews in St. Paul, Minnesota, plan to clear out the city’s largest encampment on Wednesday.
Crews are expected to begin clearing out the encampment at Pig’s Eye Park around 8 a.m. It will be the first of three sites to close under St. Paul’s new “Coordinated Transition Plan,” which has been controversial since the start.
Advocates are raising concerns about where people will go after the camp is cleared. Before crews move in, a community breakfast and demonstration was happening, with protesters attempting to block the closure.
The city said drug use, assaults and fires are driving up 911 calls and making it too dangerous for the roughly 140 people living at Pig’s Eye Park. City leaders initially said they planned to hold a news conference before the closure, but then canceled it.
Ahead of Wednesday’s closure, city officials said they’ve been focused on outreach, connecting people living in the camp with shelter, housing and health services. The city said it has added emergency shelter capacity through Ramsey County and outreach teams will work with residents to help them move and connect with resources.
For anyone who refuses to leave, the city says it will continue its “Four Es” approach: Engagement, education, encouragement and enforcement as a last resort.
The city designated an area for protesters in anticipation, saying in part, “This is a difficult day” and “we ask that everyone present allow the process to proceed safely.”
“Our focus throughout the day remains connecting people to shelter and services,” the city added.
Emotions were high at a public hearing about the encampment on Tuesday.
“There are real people with real commitments that are ready to help,” one resident said.
“You just threw away $1 million from a city with a very large deficit that I just heard at a budget meeting,” said another resident.
The city said the clearout is expected to continue throughout the day and could last into early evening.
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