After the trash was separated from those things that would be saved the scene became somewhat comical (if something can be comical on a day where nothing funny was happening). It was obvious to all present that the City was trying to test the limits of what they could get a way with. It was also very obvious that this was a calculated effort by the city. And that the city thought through all the different aspects.

This is the comical part: after most of the homeless had left with those things they could take, Sergeant Bruce Hartman went around trying to get one of the observers to say that what was left was trash. And when one of the homeless persons who was still around said in disgust, to Hartman's query, "Yeah, it's trash. Do whatever you fucking want with it," Hartman turn to myself and two other people standing near by "You heard that right? She said it was trash, you heard that right?" To which one of the people standing by said "I'm not in charge. I don't know if that is trash or not. I don't know who that stuff belongs to."

Sergeant Hartman was not to be detoured. And he finally got one of the observers (not only an observer but someone who had earlier helped some of those living in the encampment remove their things) to say that what was left was trash. On her authority Hartman was hoping to move forward on disposing of what was left. That was until another observer questioned Hartman's right to use that statement as authority to dispose of the left over things.