DULUTH, Minn. — Squad cars arrived at downtown Duluth’s Priley Circle shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday, blocking the entrance to the Civic Center and surrounding a homeless encampment.
Jon Otis, Duluth’s assistant fire chief of life safety, said that encampment residents were given a week’s advance notice that they would need to leave the site due to mounting health and public safety concerns. In July, police and fire personnel responded to 138 calls for service at Priley Circle, including reports of drug overdoses, disruptive behavior, assault, a tent fire, as well as incidents of public urination and defecation, resulting in unsanitary conditions.
Two people were arrested Wednesday morning “for the charge of obstructing,” according to a police department news release.
“We worked with our partners to communicate when we were coming and what our expectations were,” Otis said. “We returned yesterday at the expiration of that order. And now we’re coming back to enforce it.
“Our process has been collaborative, using city resources from different departments and working with our community nonprofit partners, obviously, because we can’t do this all on our own,” he said.
Yet James Wiseman, one of the displaced residents of the now-closed encampment, said he didn’t know where he and his also-homeless girlfriend would land.
“They’re not saying anything about making any arrangements for us,” Wiseman said. “They came in this morning and told us to just pack and leave. I have no idea what we’ll do.”
Mike Strum, another resident of the encampment, was suffering from a back injury that he said made it difficult to walk. He said officers had no patience for his slow pace, however, even when he explained his physical disability.
“They just tore down my tent and threw everything out,” he said.
Michael J. Evans began to consolidate his belongings on a sidewalk as the encampment was dismantled. He said he hoped to sell or give away some of his possessions, acknowledging they would be difficult to carry on foot.
As for where he might find a place to stay, Evans said he planned to make the rounds to local charities later to see whether they could offer any help.
Francois Medion, a homeless advocate living at the encampment, said, “We sort of saw this coming.”
In anticipation, Medion advised fellow residents to pull their belongings together Tuesday in case police decided to crack down on the encampment, as they did Wednesday morning.
City Administrator David Montgomery said they’ve been working with local service providers “to find a transitional solution while we work toward a more permanent housing solution for people experiencing homelessness.”
As for the early hour of the sweep, Montgomery said the timing was motivated primarily by an interest in ensuring the safety of the public, city staff and encampment residents.
Montgomery commended city police and fire staff for delivering a clear, firm message and providing people with ample opportunity to voluntarily comply, even after the deadline to leave the encampment arrived the previous day.
He noted that city staff were met with some hostility and foul language Monday but kept their cool, working to de-escalate confrontations.
“I need to give our folks huge kudos for dealing with a difficult situation and treating people with such dignity and grace,” Montgomery said.
Staff disposed of tents, tarps and other items Wednesday.
Montgomery said the site will be fenced off for an indefinite time as city staff reestablish damaged grounds and gardens.
The encampment was established a few months ago by pro-Palestine protesters calling for the local passage of a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Israel and Gaza. Over time, however, the encampment attracted others looking for a place to pitch tents temporarily, and the number of pro-Palestine protesters diminished.
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