'Non aux evictions': Demonstrators rally behind homeless group living under Ville-Marie expressway

Dozens of demonstrators marched in southwest Montreal Thursday morning to protest the now-postponed eviction of a homeless encampment under the Ville-Marie expressway.

Bearing signs reading "Non aux évictions!" (No to evictions) and "Mon quartier, j'y suis, j'y reste," (My neighbourhood, I am here, I stay here), protesters expressed solidarity with the 25 or so homeless people occupying the space below the highway overpass.

People were initially given 10 days to vacate the premises due to scheduled maintenance work, with the tents set to come down by Thursday.

However, in response to concerns from the community, the Quebec Transport Ministry (MTQ) pushed the eviction to an undetermined date.

"This will enable the occupants of the site to find alternatives that better suit their needs," an MTQ spokesperson told CTV News on Wednesday.

But for people like Kathleen Wilson, who has been living on the streets for five years, there's still a sense of urgency.

"I don't know where I'm going," she said. "I don't know where I'm going if they do that."

Kathleen Wilson (left) is one of several living under the Ville-Marie expressway in Montreal. (CTV News/Touria Izri)

"This will enable the occupants of the site to find alternatives that better suit their needs," an MTQ spokesperson told," CTV News on Wednesday.

"People were celebrating yesterday, running around hugging each other. The people under this bridge are really relieved," said David Chapman or Resilience Montreal, a day shelter offering services to Montrealers experiencing homelessness.

But for people like Kathleen Wilson, who has been living on the streets for five years, there's still a sense of urgency.

"I don't know where I'm going," she said. "I don't know where I'm going if they do that."

This is far from the end of the problem, said Nakuset of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

"It's just a delay and I think it’s almost like if Transport Quebec gets a public shaming, then they're just going to pause for a few minutes and when no one is looking they’re going to bring in the bulldozers and remove everyone," she said.

The government needs better solutions, she said.

"The people that are there would probably prefer to be indoors. It’s just that they can't find any place, so why are we not helping them? Why are we just leaving people that are incredibly vulnerable to their own devices?"

Wilson called for large-scale solutions to homelessness that go beyond just finding a new place to shelter.

"I need an apartment, we all need an apartment. We need a normal life. And I think the government should step and do something because they don't help the homeless."

With files from CTV News' Touria Izri and Rob Lurie