‘Aggressive protestors’ force Saskatoon to halt encampment clean-up, city says

CANADA ‘Aggressive protestors’ force Saskatoon to halt encampment clean-up, city says By Tavi Dhillon Global News Posted September 24, 2026 6:02 pm 2 min read RELATED: Saskatoon rally for homelessness – Sep 13, 2026 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE The planned cleanup of two encampments in Saskatoon has been paused due to aggressive protests, the city said. Crews were set to clean two vacant lots at Avenue K between 19th Street and 20th Street Thursday morning when protesters tried to stop them from working, the City of Saskatoon said. It alleged that the demonstrators circled crews’ vehicles and climbed on top of the fencing, which was stacked on one of them. “Saskatoon Fire Department, police officers and other partner agency staff were confronted by aggressive protestors, directing profane, derogatory and vulgar comments at them,” the city claimed in a news release. Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. Workers present at the site Thursday reported the majority of those involved did not appear to be encampment occupants, according to the City of Saskatoon. The city acknowledged that its decision may frustrate people in the area, including the students, families of students and staff at the St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre, who have been requesting Saskatoon to step in for a year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT David Fineday lives in Saskatoon and is a member of the Sweetgrass First Nation. He spoke at a news conference at the encampment site Thursday, before the city announced it is pausing work. “They want to displace all of these people; they want (them) to get out of here. And my question is, ‘where are they going to put them?'” Fineday told reporters, adding that “they want to take them down, so they have to re-place them somewhere.” MORE ON CANADA MORE VIDEOS B.C. a travel hotspot this season, Airbnb data reveals Higher income households eating out less as consumer pain bites: survey ‘The world we are in’: Ford government signals deficits will continue Ford government says ‘people voted’ to cancel Starlink deal, won’t reveal…