A huge homeless encampment in Washington D.C. in the shadow of the Watergate complex has been drawn in to an intense local battle.
The camp is one of many that have sprung up around the city during the coronavirus pandemic, leading to debates between locals and activists over how to tackle the growing issue.
Neighbors near 12th Street and Massachusetts Avenue in the Northwest of the city have written to the United States Park Police (USPP), asking that they clear other camps from Burke Park, Gompers Park and 9th and Massachusetts.
Citing public safety concerns, the local group asked officers to enforce rules by preventing the camp to grow any further on federal properties.
'There is ample evidence that these encampments are a danger to the community, bringing with them excess refuse, human excrement and other bodily fluids, heated domestic disputes, drug abuse, weapons, and an inability to enjoy resources and green space under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service,' the letter read.
A view of a campsite near the Watergate complex (pictured in the background) as the number of homeless encampments grow, July 29, 2021, in Washington, DC
Despite the letter, the National Park Service said in a statement that it had 'no imminent plans to remove existing encampments,' subsiding fears from activists who feared that the USPP would clear the camp at Burke Park.
CDC Covid-19 guidelines recommend that people be allowed to stay unsheltered or in encampments if other housing options are unavailable.
But the residents who signed the letter have argued that this guidance is being used as an excuse not to address the homelessness problem.
'If these encampments were set up on the National Mall, there is no doubt that they would be removed without hesitation or delay,' the letter said.
'While we are sympathetic that people need a place to reside and the DC government must do something to address the increasing homeless population in the city, camping in these federal land parks is both unlawful and unsafe.'
Amid fears of eviction, community advocates quickly reacted, with Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Alexandra Bailey - who oversees the district - saying the USPP
