Halifax mayor noncommittal on apology for 2021 encampment clash

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage declined to say whether a public apology from the municipality and police is warranted for the Aug. 18, 2021 chaotic clash between police and protesters during a tent encampment eviction.

The violent incident began with verbal insults and turned into pushing, shoving and items being thrown, to people and police being injured and pepper-sprayed. In the end, the incident resulted in 25 arrests.

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A Toronto-based law firm published the long-awaited 116-page report on Friday, which included 37 recommendations for the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC), the Halifax Regional Municipality and Halifax Regional Police to consider.

Among the list of recommendations is a call for a public apology.

The police union in Halifax says it’s disappointed with the review.

Halifax Regional Police Association says the review is based on “opinions which are very narrow in scope.”

The association goes on to say parts of the review are lacking research and that those who put it together failed to consult with independent experts in housing, homelessness, policing, police governance or public safety.

Police also say it's disappointing that the former chief of police and superintendent of Halifax parks, both of whom were involved in the events, declined to participate in the review.

Since the incident more than three years ago, Savage said the municipality has overhauled its approach to handling tent encampments and dealing with the homelessness situation.

“Words are one thing, but our actions show how serious we are about addressing homelessness,” said Savage.

The report suggests policy reviews and revisions, ranging from enhanced police oversight to revising use-of-force protocols, with a greater focus on de-escalation, to better communication between police leadership and the BOPC.

Criminal defense lawyer Asaf Rashid, who represented 19 of the 25 arrested, criticized the lack of a de-escalation plan. He pointed out that some officers and city staff had advised against proceeding with the evictions due to the time of day and the growing crowd.

“They were concerned about protests, potential arrests, and the lack of a plan, for withdrawal,” said Rashid.

The report reveals that police and city staff had successfully cleared three other encampments earlier in the day with relative ease and lack of conflict.

However, the decision to proceed with the Old Memorial Public Library site was made on the fly. According to the report, there were multiple opportunities to change course and withdraw, which were ignored, contributing to further chaos.

Police Sergeant Phil Power was one of the officers who suggested pulling back, but his concerns were overruled by higher-ranking officers.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that in my career,” Power told the review. “The thought, I believe, of the crowd was that we were the people that were vilifying the homeless, that it was our job to go in and remove these things.”

Nova Scotia NDP MLA Gary Burrill, who was in the crowd and witnessed the violence, was interviewed for the review.

However, he criticized not the report, but instead focused on the lack of affordable housing and the role of the provincial government.

“What we need is housing on a large-scale that is geared to people’s income, so that everybody can actually get inside,” Burrill said. “That’s where we need the government’s focus to be.”

Savage acknowledged the trauma impacted all sides involved but said an apology would not change what happened. He suggested that Halifax council would collectively decide whether a public apology is warranted.

The Halifax Board of Police Commissioners will meet tomorrow to discuss the report and next steps.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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