Hundreds at city hall protest bylaw proposal

Despite the expectation that a proposed bylaw that would limit “nuisance” protests would be shelved by council Tuesday, around 200 people gathered at City Hall to speak out against it.

Labour organizers, religious leadership and other groups spoke to protesters; some held signs with slogans like “Fight for your right to protest” and “You are the nuisance.”

Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) originally put forward the proposal for a Safe Access to to Vulnerable Infrastructure bylaw, which would ban “nuisance” protests and intimidation within 100 metres of schools, places of worship, hospitals and other locations, but said Monday that he had changed his mind after public feedback and would shelve it.

Caryn Douglas, a minister in the United Church of Canada, called on the group outside of city hall and the councilors in it to not “let the rising tide of fear of the other shape us.”

“Denying access to be seen and heard on the streets is denying advocacy for justice,” she said.

City council’s executive policy committee will hear from over 100 delegates speaking in opposition to the report and two in favour at Tuesday’s meeting.