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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Last of the Occupiers 'not going anywhere'

By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 12/19/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Robert Gaumond (left) and Kristaps Balodis take down a tent at the Occupy Winnipeg protest site in Memorial Park Sunday.

The three remaining Occupiers at Memorial Park have consolidated the number of lodgings on the site to conform with a provincial edict to remove abandoned tents.

One man remains in a large, military-style green tent and two others have moved into the large orange-coloured yurt that has been used as a meeting place during the last two months.

"We're not going anywhere," Terry Weaymouth said. "The notice (from the province) said only unoccupied tents would be removed. These are occupied."

Occupiers Kristaps Balodis and Robert Gaumond were shutting down their tent, located on the far west side of the park, and moving their gear into the larger yurt, on the east side of the park.

Weaymouth said the province threatened to demolish and remove the yurt because it was only being used for meetings, adding Balodis and Gaumond are moving in to keep it safe.

The world-wide Occupy movement set up at Memorial Park on Oct. 16.

Weaymouth has been there for 61 days and Balodis for 56 days. Gaumond has been regularly attending every other day or so.

The remains of several other tents are scattered about the park. The three men said they expect Conservation officials to remove those abandoned tents, but said by mid-afternoon Sunday they hadn't seen anyone official come to the park.

While it appears the Occupy movement has run out of steam, Balodis and Weaymouth said it's just operating with a lower profile.

When asked if they thought they had made a difference, all three enthusiastically agreed.

"A lot of issues came up since we've been here," Balodis said, citing the Brandon University faculty strike and the street protests and last-minute courtroom wranglings to save the Canadian Wheat Board.

"I hear people using more intelligent, relevant conversations, even on buses," said Balodis, a full-time student at the University of Winnipeg. "Sure, people continue to talk about which celebrity is doing who, but I hear a lot more conversations about the economy and financial institutions."

Balodis and Weaymouth said they're determined to stay at the park throughout the winter and beyond.

"Come spring, this camp will explode again," Balodis said.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 19, 2011 A5

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