‘I was livid': Outrage as Camden homeless man sprayed with hose
Charissa Cheong
A Camden homeless man appears to be sprayed with water in a video shared on Twitter - Credit: Elodie Berland
Footage of a man appearing to spray a homeless person with water in Camden has sparked outrage.
The video was posted on Twitter on Monday (September 20) by Camden homeless charity Streets Kitchen.
Elodie Berland, 47, was walking down Euston Road when she said she saw a power hose being sprayed at a pile of bedding, with a man asleep in it.
Elodie filmed the incident and posted it on Streets Kitchen's social media, where she has volunteered for five years.
The group serves around 90 breakfasts to rough sleepers four days a week, with an aim of eradicating homelessness.
The volunteer said: “When I saw what was happening, I was livid. It’s terrible to see someone being so awfully mistreated.”
The video received more than 14,000 views in two days, and many Twitter users condemned the incident.
One viewer commented: “You wouldn’t treat a dog like this. This is a deplorable act.”
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However, Elodie said was displeased by responses to the video.
“I’m not happy about the way that people have only focused on this one person," she said.
“It’s not just about him and he shouldn’t be the sole face of the issue. There’s a wider problem out there.”
As a Streets Kitchen volunteer, Berland says she hears abuse shouted at the local homeless community on a regular basis.
She said: “I feel obliged to check on my friends as often as I can. It’s about solidarity, not charity, and looking after my neighbours.”
Streets Kitchen believes in 'solidarity not charity'. - Credit: @Streets Kitchen via Instagram
Berland’s video quickly attracted the attention of Camden Council, and it was found that the individual in the video was from a third-party company, employed by a contractor for Spaces Works, an office rental service with a location on Euston Road.
Councillor Nadia Shah, cabinet member for safer communities, said: “We expect people experiencing homelessness to be treated with respect, not dehumanised in this way.
“We thank Streets Kitchen for bringing this incident to our attention and encourage everyone to report incidents of poor treatment of people who are homeless in Camden to us.”
A spokesperson for Spaces Works clarified that the individual in the video is not employed by Spaces Works and that they have stopped using services from this provider.
They are continuing to discuss the incident with the provider.
