The Vancouver Fire Department has confirmed a woman has died at the Occupy Vancouver encampment.
A woman, believed to be in her 20s, was taken away by ambulance just after 4:40 p.m. Saturday afternoon. She was discovered unconscious in her tent by a friend, who reported it to the first aid attendant on site.
Witnesses say the woman may have died of a heroin overdose, but this information has not been confirmed by officials.
Two ambulances initially responded to the emergency call from the encampment.
The atmosphere was tense, as several protesters and friends of the victim confronted television news crews on scene. One cameraman was reportedly pushed over.
Another man was reportedly arrested after trying to damage one of the ambulances.
In a bizarre twist, Vancouver-based punk band D.O.A., which stands for “Dead on Arrival” took to the stage just minutes after emergency crews left the scene.
Police, city and fire officials are expected to be on scene indefinitely as they investigate the death and determine the next step.
Just this past Thursday, emergency crews responded to the Occupy Vancouver site after a man overdosed on heroin. He survived.
This is the second person to die at an Occupy protest in North America. A homeless man died in a tent on October 31 in Oklahoma City. The death was "not suspicious," according to police.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has been under increasing pressure to wrap up the protest on the grounds of the art gallery, but so far has avoided using force to break the camp up.
peter.meiszner@globalnews.ca
Twitter: @PMeisznerGlobal
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