Crews clear encampment in Wilmington, Delaware, but demonstrators worry it won't solve the problem

People rallied in support of those living in the encampments at Christina Park in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday night. 

City crews cleared the park and took those calling it home elsewhere. A large fence was put up around the perimeter of the encampment at Christina Park, and everyone was told to leave, as buses transferred people living there to housing arrangements.

But demonstrators said that this isn't going to solve the problem and will make matters worse.

"Some of these people just need a hand, they just need someone to help them along," Lea Small, of Wilmington, said.

Back in October 2025, the city temporarily designated the park as a city-sanctioned unhoused community site.

But now, they want to clear it and said they are offering people support services and placement opportunities, including hotel vouchers and personal storage.

"In the last two weeks, a lot of people have got housing placements, and I think that's been a really market improvement," Meryem Dede said.

"I think the big thing is the confusion on what's been happening on the ground," she added. "There is a lot that the city has said they're providing that then is not actually being given to the folks here."

A rally called "Not on My Watch" also happened Monday night. Advocates are calling for a long-term plan and said this is not enough.

"When you are someone who is coming from a totally unsheltered existence to be in a motel for 30 days and then be able to find long-term housing after that is a pretty steep hill to climb," Dede said.

The Attorney General of Delaware said prosecuting them would be unfair, saying in part: "The City has the prerogative to change its mind, but the criminal justice system cannot be an escape hatch from a difficult situation. I do not accept the view that the homeless in Christina Park have committed a crime when they have followed the City's orders at every step."

"There are people," Jacqueline Bryk, of Wilmington, said. "These are your neighbors; they can be your friends. They are not dangerous animals like a lot of people have been saying, and they are not a virus to be cleared out of the neighborhood."