People rally against the city’s closing of Loomis Street homeless encampment
[anvplayer video=”5150673″ station=”998131″]
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Community members rallied outside of Rochester City Hall to bring attention to the plight of the homeless.
The protest was a response to what activists call a forced clearing of the Loomis Street encampment.
Organizers say they’re concerned about the forced removal by Rochester Police. They claim police threatened civilians who tried to help the homeless.
Advocates say they are hoping to see collaboration between the city and county governments to provide supportive services.
“We are here today to urge the city to work with community members, to work with the county to come up with solutions that puts everybody’s safety in mind,” said one speaker at the rally. “The inhumane treatment that we witnessed over the past few days on Loomis street is severely disheartening.”
Community members rallied outside of Rochester City Hall to bring attention to the plight of the homeless.
On Tuesday, Mayor Malik Evans said the city is committed to cleaning up the area which has become a hub for drug use and sales.
Read our coverage of the Loomis Street encampment:
- Trash and tents: City working on cleaning up homeless encampments in Rochester (Nov. 29)
- City closes encampment on Loomis Street and is revitalizing businesses in 14621 zip code (Nov. 29)
- City aims to curtail homeless camps and drug activity on Loomis Street with fence (Nov. 28)
- News10NBC Investigates: The tent city remains at the Loomis Street lot (Nov. 1)
- Crews cut back trees, brush to expose and clear open-air heroin market on vacant lot (Oct. 25)