Under Pressure From Pro-Israel Groups, Canadian Cities Are Restricting Protest

[cbabe]

https://truthout.org/articles/under-pressure-from-pro-israel-groups-canadian-cities-are-restricting-protest/

Under Pressure From Pro-Israel Groups, Canadian Cities Are Restricting Protest

Toronto, Vaughan, Brampton, and Calgary have all passed bylaws that infringe on protest rights, and Ottawa may be next.

By Jillian Kestler-D’Amours , TRUTHOUT
Published June 15, 2025

Montreal, Canada – Civil rights advocates and Palestinian solidarity groups in Canada have raised alarm over a growing wave of municipal bylaws prohibiting protests outside houses of worship, schools, and other sites.

They say the measures — which have been passed in Canada’s largest city, Toronto, among other places, and are being considered elsewhere — infringe on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Activists have also warned that the bylaws are part of a wider push to stifle demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

… more …

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Schools should not be terrorized. "Peaceful assembly" w bullhorns, pot banging, & large crowds terrorizes children

It is not aimed at Palestinian protests. Or are they wanting to terrorize schools and synagogues?

Mosques are places of worship and are protected. They wish mosques to be terrorized?

Slanted article, regardless of the atrocious history of Israeli and Palestinian actions. For example, first picture has caption saying "restricting protests in Toronto to certain areas", which is false. It keeps protesters away from a few areas, not the reverse the caption states. The restriction establishes buffer zones of 50 meters, 164 feet, which is not very much. The rest of the city remains pretty much wide open for protests. Rather like the US FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances).

It falsely concludes

“The only purpose of this is to take away the public’s right to debate and protest and speak publicly about issues that others in the community don’t want to hear protests about.”

Nothing in the laws take away the right. Unless the protester is an absolutist who thinks people should be able to yell "Fire" in a crowded theatre. All rights are shared and thus all rights are restricted and no right is absolute (avoid binary yes-no thinking).