'Stigmatizing' benches installed in Cabot Square to be removed immediately: Plante

MONTREAL -- Benches installed in Cabot Square on Wednesday will be "immediately removed," Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante tweeted on Thursday.

The benches – marked with the words "15 minute rest" – are separated into three distinct seats by metal armrests, making it impossible for a person to lie down, should they want to. Cabot Square is a popular resting area among people experiencing homelessness in the city, with a women's shelter located just a block away.

"These are the old benches set up by the previous administration that I have extensively condemned," Plante said. "This bench has no place in the vicinity of Cabot Square because it contributes to the stigmatization of people experiencing homelessness."

Il s’agit des vieux bancs mis en place par la précédente administration que j’ai abondamment condamné. Ce banc n’a pas sa place dans les environs du Square Cabot parce qu’il participe à la stigmatisation des personnes en situation d’itinérance. Il sera immédiatement retiré. https://t.co/0vw6C0x1cY

— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) July 9, 2020

Plante added that as a city, there's still work to do to make public spaces inclusive and that she’s "in this battle."

The director of Montreal’s Native Women’s shelter, Nakuset, tweeted a photo of the new benches Thursday morning, captioned "No resting allowed at Cabot Square."