Sheriff's deputies dismantle protest encampment outside of University City Townhomes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Forced out. Tents have been taken down as people living in an encampment in University City are suddenly evicted.
The tent city has been put up to protest the sale and redevelopment of University City Townhomes.
Sherriff's deputies arrived Monday morning with a court order to dismantle the encampment.
Heated moments as sheriff's deputies locked up a man.
Finger-pointing and yelling -- confrontations that capped a weeks'-long smoldering feud between the owners of UC Townhomes and residents and their supporters who set up camp outside the property at 40th and Market Streets.
"It's too hot to get locked up," a man yelled.
Management and UC Townhomes owners first notified some six dozen tenants in July last year its HUD contract for low-income residents wouldn't be renewed.
With a Sept. 7 eviction notice looming, demonstrators filled a courtyard with tents.
On Thursday, the court ordered the sheriff's department to dismantle the encampment. Tempers flared.
Sheriff Rochelle Bilal was heckled and booed by the crowd. She sympathized with the tenants.
"If you know the situation is I would be pissed off and I would be protesting too. But we have a job to do and the job is they are trespassing, according to the court order," Bilal said.
"I've lived here for 14 years," Rasheda Alexander said.
People like Alexander say they've been ignored by city officials in their attempts to resolve the matter equitably for both sides.
"This today was the last resort, this was the last resort for us, " Alexander said. "I'm angry because these city officials are the ones that we vote for and they're supposed to have the people's best interest at heart, and they don't. They are not for the people."
There were no arrests Monday, only a citation issued to one man.
