Clearing of Mass. and Cass. encampment begins
City workers cleared tents in the homeless encampment near the intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Melena Cass Blvd. from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 after the Boston City Council approved an ordinance that banned tents throughout the city, according to GBH News.
The area, colloquially known as Mass. and Cass, gained a reputation for violence and open drug use. An increase in concern about the public health effects of the encampment prompted Mayor Michelle Wu to propose the ordinance Aug. 25 that would ban tents in Boston.
An amended version of the ordinance proposed by Wu was approved by the council Oct. 25. GBH News reported the updated ordinance required the city to notify residents about transportation to shelters, remove restrictions about what belongings the city can store and change the penalty for refusing to move a tent from a fine to a verbal warning.
At a press conference at the Engagement Center in Roxbury Nov. 2, Wu, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox and other city officials gave updates on the removal of tents at Mass. and Cass and the planning process of implementing the ordinance.
“I’m incredibly grateful,” Wu said. “This was truly a team effort across so many different departments, so many different community organizations and partners.”
Medway family escapes Gaza
A Medway family escaped Gaza Nov. 2 after being trapped for almost a month. Abood Okal, Wafaa Abuzayda and their 1-year-old son, Yousef, traveled to Gaza and the West Bank to visit family, according to The Boston Globe.
They were planning on leaving Oct. 13, but couldn’t because of the Israeli attacks that began Oct. 7.
After the attacks started, Okal and Abuzadya tried returning home but couldn’t. The family tried to leave Gaza many times and were turned away each time, according to the Globe.
According to the Globe, by Oct. 29 the family had run out of fresh water and were desperately looking for food. The next day, the family waited in line for a gallon of water that would have to be shared with the 40 people they were staying with.
The family crossed the border into Egypt at 5:20 a.m. Nov. 2.
