BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A recently erected homeless tent encampment in Bellingham is facing closure Friday.
Several dozen tents popped up at Laurel Park near WWU Tuesday after the city cleared a camp at Fraser and Puget Streets.
After campers moved to Laurel Park, the city posted a notice to vacate by 8am on Friday, March 19.
Early Friday morning, there were still several dozen tents at the camp and a large blue dumpster was positioned nearby with a small amount of garbage in it.
A banner that had been hung Tuesday that read “City Council: Stop Criminalizing Homelessness” was gone.
The local group purporting to advocate for the campers, Bellingham Occupied Protest Mutual Aid yesterday posted a call to “Blocc Up” this morning, a reference to prior #blackblocc protests at Bellingham City Hall that turned violent.
In various posts, the group promised to resist what they have variously called “Terror Happening in your backyard”, “white supremacy in the city of Bellingham”, and “systems of oppression” “persecuting” the unhoused.
This while the city’s Homeless Strategies Workgroup announced a hiatus as the city gathers more information on beds available in Whatcom County.
This is a developing story. KGMI will provide updates the day progresses.