A crowd of protesters gathered outside Vancouver City Hall this week, hoping to draw attention to the needs of Oppenheimer Park residents.

On Monday, housing activists and Oppenheimer residents hosted a "sleep-in," setting up tents on the lawn outside city hall. 

Then on Tuesday, action continued, with demonstrators picketing outside the building as city councillors and staff arrived to work. 

"As Vancouver’s homelessness crisis worsens, Oppenheimer Park is increasingly a refuge and community for those hardest hit by the crisis," Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users said in a statement.

"Rather than step up to provide essential emergency services, the city is sweeping the issue under the rug – despite city council’s March 2019 motion to support Oppenheimer residents."

Earlier this month, Vancouver police issued a warning saying they've seen an increase of violence in and around Oppenheimer Park, including one case in which an officer was assaulted while helping city crews. 

They added that they've received more emergency calls from the park, with 92 calls in June and 87 in May. 

"We had an officer that was assaulted Wednesday. She was kicked several times while trying to remove a man who had jumped on a garbage truck," said Sgt. Jason Robillard in a press release. 

"These types of incidents are concerning to us."

However activists say essential emergency services are needed in the area, as well as permanent housing. 

"Helping each other is super important. We’re the 99 per cent. We have no place to stay anymore. If it ends, then there’s nobody here to speak," said VANDU member and Our Homes Can't Wait activist Myles Harps in a statement. 

"We should be fighting together. Let’s work in community. It’s the people, for the people."