Beginning Of The End: Canada shuts down Occupy protests

Police forcibly remove protesters from Ontario park, London to mark the beginning of the end of Occupy movement

OTTAWA: Police forcibly removed protesters from a London, Ontario park early Wednesday, marking the beginning of the end of the Occupy movement in Canada as other cities vowed to also evict demonstrators.

“This has never been about denying free speech or free assembly,” London Mayor Joe Fontana told a press conference hours after police moved in at 12:40 am (0540 GMT) to remove tents. “Anyone is free to gather in our parks during the day and evening, but we could not and would not permit people to occupy a public park indefinitely.” In Vancouver, authorities sought a court injunction against an occupation of a square at Vancouver Art Gallery. The city vowed to shut down the encampment after a 23-year-old woman died of an apparent drug overdose in a tent at the site on Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2011.