Details inside the camp set up by the Occupy Toronto group now occupying St. Jame's Park in Toronto on Oct. 19, 2011.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
Occupy Toronto has been a model for peaceful protest since it formed in St. James Park three weeks go but like Vancouver's site, it has had to deal with issues of substance abuse.
It's not the same as the BC site's problems with hard drugs rumoured to have caused the death of a young woman there on the weekend and an overdose two days before. But Toronto organizers say there was an incident this weekend when one resident became drunk and belligerent.
Early Sunday morning, some members of the movement became frustrated with his behaviour and tried to remove the man from the park, and police were contacted to help diffuse the situation, according to Zack Lathrop, a resident and organizer.
"We agreed early on that we had to try and make this a drug and alcohol-free zone," he said. "That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, it means it's not socially acceptable."
Mr. Lathrop is part of a group of organizers who have been taking turns marshaling the park. They spend 24-hours a day monitoring the site in an attempt to keep it clean and safe.
Occupy Toronto's open-arms policy has meant some of the homeless and drug-addicted park regulars have joined the protest.
The man who became belligerent was one of them, according to Mr. Lathrop.
So far, the Toronto site has been generally peaceful and well-maintained. Paths have been cleared so that visitors can stroll between the tents, paint signs or twirl a hula hoop.
As they filed out of the church following a Remembrance Day service Sunday afternoon, patrons of St. James Cathedral, which adjoins the park, expressed support for the protesters.
"It really doesn't bother me because it's peaceful and everybody has the right to protest," said Maria Johnson, a George Brown college employee who lives nearby.
They didn't link news of the Vancouver death to the Toronto site, or to the movement.
"It's tragic, but I don't think that it was because she was in a tent or participating in the movement that the woman died," said Naomi Skerrett, a retired education consultant who attends the church.
Ms. Skerrett initially had concerns that the protesters would leave litter in the yard, or abuse the church restrooms.
"I have to admit they have been very respectful of the church and the property," she said.