Liberal city's 'disgraceful' move before baseball's opening day has activists furious

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The city of Denver is facing criticism from homeless advocates after removing encampments near Coors Field ahead of the Colorado Rockies' opening day.

"It’s disgraceful, and they’re not trying to solve the problem," Grant Francis, with the homeless advocacy group Mutual Aid Monday, told Denver7. "They’re just trying to provide some optics that make it look like they’re trying to do something."

One activist called the city of Denver's sweeps of homeless camps ahead of the Colorado Rockies first home game of the season "disgraceful." (Screenshot/Denver7)

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The Colorado Rockies will play their home opener next Thursday, April 6. The city started sweeps this week on Larimer Street near Coors Field, according to Denver7.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, a Democrat, has been criticized for sweeps in the past — especially ones that appear to coincide with sporting events. His administration stepped up sweeps in 2021, just before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, The Denver Post previously reported.

"It’s anywhere where there’s an event that generates any kind of income for the city," Francis said.

A spokesperson for Hancock did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

A general view of the Colorado Rockies on the field against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning at Coors Field on April 9, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

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A 2021 report estimated the city of Denver spent between $41,679 and $104,201 per homeless person per