Montreal police detained three protesters after ordering the FRAPRU housing group to remove a series of tents they placed in a green space at Ontario and St. Urbain Thursday.
Most of the protesters did not resist the police but three were detained for allegedly obstructing officers.
The group set up the tents in order to bring attention to what they consider inadequate funding for public housing but the structures were quickly taken down and confiscated.
Mayor Denis Coderre had warned the group that no tent settlement would be allowed to stand and the group was given 30 minutes to remove the tents Thursday afternoon.
FRAPRU chief Francois Saillant told CTV Montreal that the settlement aimed at shining light on the plight of social housing.
“What we are thinking is the future of social housing is in danger now. It’s in danger because of the cutbacks in the last budget,” said Francois Saillant who said that the number of new social housing units will be slashed from 3,000 to 1,500.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre told reporters that the city is trying to organize more social housing but such a settlement would not be allowed to stand.
"It’s not a good thing," said Coderre of his order to dismantle the settlement. "There are public health issues. It could spiral out of control. I’m doing it not just to protect citizens but to protect the protesters from themselves."
Protester Fred Burrill said that he participated in the protest because, "appropriate things work for the people who hold the reigns of power. What we want to do is to disturb them so that they are forced to respond to our demands. So we are going to do it inappropriately."
FRAPRU leader Saillant hinted that the group might try again soon to set up another tent settlement.
In 2001 housing activists set up a squat in an abandoned property downtown at Overdale and Lucien L'Allier and stayed for several weeks.
