Today Glasgow City Council has started the process of removing protesters who have set up camp in George Square.
The protest began on March 25 to campaign for change to the council’s homeless housing policy. Initially, a group of ten people set up camp, saying they would not move until the council complied with their demands.
Everyone homeless in the original camp was offered accommodation, however a spokesperson for the council explained the offer was refused by organiser, Jason Miller, who has a home, and he would not leave.
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A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “The occupiers promised in court that the camp would be removed when any homeless people originally associated with it, had been accommodated and offered complex needs assessments.
“We were more than happy that they would finally accept our offers of help. All but one of the homeless people left to go to their new accommodation. However, the organiser, who already has a temporary furnished flat provided by homelessness services, reneged on that promise and stayed. He was then joined by new Gilet Jaune protestors.”
The spokesperson explained that the new arrivals and disturbances coming from the camp led to today’s eviction.
They added: “Given the organiser’s failure to do as stated in court, today we used the decree to remove the camp amid concerns about the condition of the site in George Square, blaring music, offensive language and drinking.”
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Speaking to Glasgow Live at the beginning of his protest, before the council met demands to offer accommodation to protesters, Jason Miller said he expected to camp in the city centre for a couple of months.
He said: "They've tried to come over this morning with Police Scotland to serve an eviction notice, but we told them where to go. We've had three visits today from police asking us to move but there's no law that states we need to move.
"So, we will be here for at least the next two months, depending on how things go. The only way we will move from here is if everyone here at the camp gets a house and a Scottish Housing Tenancy agreement."
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