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Indigenous Elder, Journalist Among Three Arrested in Edmonton Homeless Encampment Raid

Edmonton Police Service [EPS] says it made three arrests at an eighth homeless encampment that the force and city deemed “high risk” near Rowland Road and 95 Street in the Boyle Street area of Edmonton Wednesday.

Video posted to social media shows Indigenous Elder Roy Cardinal being arrested before he was led away in handcuffs.

Brandi Morin, a journalist who works for Ricochet Media, and happens to be Indigenous, says she was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. Morin wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she is “pissed.”

Meanwhile, lawyers for the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights [CJHR] filed a lawsuit against the city of Edmonton Wednesday.

Edmonton Journal reports the Coalition argues the city’s actions on the recent homeless camp clear-outs endanger vulnerable people and violate their charter rights, and that CJHR hopes the suit will set precedent that changes how encampments are responded to across the province and country.

Justice Jonathan Martin extended an interim injunction until January 16. The injunction was initially granted December 18, and it paves the way for the city of Edmonton and EPS to dismantle homeless settlements that they classify as “high risk,” under various stipulations, including ensuring shelter space is available, issuing 48-hour notice, and that they will consider current weather conditions.

The temperature at the time the Rowland Road and 95 Street camp was cleared out was -22°C, with a wind chill value of -30°C.

In a media release, the city said it discarded two Tonnes of left over belongings from the Rowland Road at 95 Street encampment, including 31 propane tanks, and seven shopping carts.