People living in camper vans and cars near a Vancouver intersection aren’t backing down from a fight with city hall.

They have pledged to stay put along Slocan Street and East 12^th Avenue until they are provided social housing.

They and their supporters are scheduled to hold a rally on May 26, when their vehicles are scheduled to be towed away by city bylaw enforcers.

Red Braid Alliance, formerly Alliance Against Displacement, is supporting the campers.

The group issued a media release Wednesday (May 19), quoting people living at the intersection near the Lowe’s home improvement shop.

"We want to stay here. We're not hurting anybody. The prejudice we're being dealt with is completely unfair... We should have the right to come and go and pick our own neighbors, to create the community we feel comfortable with. We have to stand up for our rights right here, and make sure that we have the right to stay in our vehicles if that's what we choose to do. The City has to back down, regroup... harassment and bullying is not the way to do it." (William Cook)

"We are not criminals. I have a home, it's right over there. I just don't have an address. It's wrong to turn us into criminals because we like living in an RV." (Connolly Watson)

"I don't have the income to live in a high rise. There are many French people out here who live in a tent, in an RV, or car. Most of us live paycheque to paycheque. It's not supposed to be like that. If we live in an RV or car, there's a reason for that. We shouldn't be punished because the city doesn't want us and discriminates against us as criminals or drug addicts because we are living in an RV. That's just wrong." (Tommy Lamontagne)