Hawthorne Park Encampment: Medford, OR | US AS WE ARE | Sept. 21, 2020

On Monday, we went to Hawthorne Park to explore the situation surrounding the encampment that had build up there for previously unhoused refugees of the Almeda Fire. The majority of people staying here were already homeless prior to the fire, but when the Greenway went up in flames, they needed to find a new place to camp. There had already been a feeding effort happening in the park before the fire, so it became a big spot for people to go, eventually leading to a sort of tent city.

When our crew arrived, we were told that the encampment had just been given a 24 hour notice to vacate by the police. In this video we explore the encampment and talk with some of its volunteers, campers, and police.

As of 8AM Tuesday the 22nd (the day after we were there) the police made good on their intention to vacate campers from the park. There are reports of arrests having been made.

​This is obviously a rather big story, so this video is not meant to be a definitive picture of all the various details and plot points, but nevertheless we hope it can help shed some light on the truth, whatever it is.