Media Advisory - March 7, 2014
New Westminster – Today, Friday March 7 at 9:00am, Abbotsford's homeless residents will be back in court, asking that the court consider their right to live in the city and to be treated with dignity. Last fall, homeless people in Abbotsford stood up to exclusion and harassment by setting up a tent city in Jubilee park as a safe haven for people with nowhere else to go. Days before Christmas, the City of Abbotsford won a court injunction to clear out the camp. While the tent city residents have dispersed, the City is now proceeding to trial against the homeless. The City of Abbotsford is asking the court to grant an order making it illegal for the homeless to camp or erect a tent in any park in Abbotsford.
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Using the law as a catalyst for positive social change, Pivot Legal Society works to improve the lives of marginalized communities.
Pivot Legal Society will be representing Abbotsford's homeless at trial and will be in court today asking that dates for the trial be set as soon as possible in order to protect those who are living on the street. Today, Pivot’s clients will be asking the court to look beyond the Jubilee park tent city, and to consider all of the laws and actions that Abbotsford uses to displace and marginalize homeless people who live within their boarders. At trial, Pivot’s clients will also seek a declaration of their fundamental right to exist and be treated equally.
DJ Larkin, counsel with Pivot Legal Society, will be available for comment at 10:00 am, after the court appearance, on the steps of the courthouse.
What: Abbotsford's homeless back in court asking for a trial to consider their fundamental right to exist as equal citizens
When: March 7, 2014, 9:00am
Where: New Westminster Courthouse, 651 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster, BC
Media Contact:
DJ Larkin, lawyer, Pivot Legal Society - (604) 340-8422, [email protected]
