Oak Bay cenotaph protest camp removed for Remembrance Day preparations

Oak Bay police have removed a protest camp next to the community's war memorial that was set up to protest the lack of affordable housing in Greater Victoria.

Last week, Oak Bay police gave the campers a deadline of 11 a.m. Oct. 31 to move from their latest locationto allow preparations for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the site.

"We've been increasingly concerned that conditions at the park have been deteriorating," Oak Bay Deputy Police Chief Ray Bernotiessaid in a statement.

Bernoties said atribute benchlocated at the camphad been spray painted. He called it "an incredibly disrespectful act and will cost approximately $1,500 to replace."

Last week police cited problems at the site includingdefecation, discarded hypodermic needles and a break-in at a nearby home.

Bernoties said the cleanup will take several days.

The campers moved to Uplands Park about a week earlier, after spendingtwo weeks at Oak Bay's Willows Beach.

Before Oak Bay, the campers staked their tents in several other Greater Victoria communitiesto protest the lack of affordable housing in the region.