Petition

Stop Ottawa Bubble Zone By-law

0
3,000
SIGNATURE GOAL

Ottawa Parliament Hill


TO: Mr. Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, and all Ottawa City Councillors

Ottawa is the capital city of our nation and, as such, serves as a beacon of our democratic rights and institutions. Your privilege and responsibility, as Ottawa City Councillors, is to guard this heritage. However, with the recent proposal of a new “bubble zone by-law” (the “Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law”), that heritage is under threat.

This far-reaching, undemocratic by-law could restrict lawful protests, demonstrations, rallies, and even conversation and prayer in a 100-metre radius around thousands of locations across the city, encompassing entire city blocks in some cases. Citizens will not be free to express themselves in these public spaces. It will be up to the subjective whims of by-law officers whether a person is saying the “wrong” words, holding the “wrong” sign, or praying the “wrong” prayer within these speech-suppression zones, with outrageous fines of up to $100,000 levied.

If the only purpose of this by-law is to stop criminal activity, as some claim, then it is absolutely redundant. Since the Criminal Code of Canada already prohibits harassment, threats, incitement of violence, and hate crimes, police have the power to halt unlawful protests and to arrest dangerous protesters across the entire city of Ottawa – not just in certain “bubble zones”. All residents are equally protected everywhere under the current law. If police enforcement is a problem, that is the issue you must address.

Otherwise, there is no reason for a new by-law, except to restrict the free expression of opinions and viewpoints that some deem “politically incorrect” or “offensive”.

Ottawa City Council does not have the right to take away our rights in public spaces. Our tax dollars pay for those spaces – they belong to every Canadian, and we should be free to peaceably share our opinions and concerns in those spaces.

After all, according to our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression ... freedom of peaceful assembly...”

According to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, it is a “‘fundamental human right’ for people to gather to celebrate or to air grievances, ‘in public and in private spaces, outdoors, indoors and online.’ ... Governments could not prohibit protests by making ‘generalised references to public order or public safety, or an unspecified risk of potential violence.’”

Therefore, I call on you to reject the “bubble zone by-law” (the “Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law”) and to affirm your commitment to guard the rights and freedoms of all Canadians all across the entire city of Ottawa. Anything less is an affront to the heritage of our nation’s capital.

Sign This Petition Now!

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Signatures

Thus far 2521 signatories
Page 155 of 169
Neville P. New Harbour , NL , A0B 2P0
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:28pm
Rita K. Ottawa , ON , K1C5E5
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:28pm
Stop poticial censorship
Steve R. Calgary, AB , T3K3V8
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:28pm
Anonymous Winnipeg , MB , R2M 1G5
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:28pm
Gladys T. Roblin, MB , R0L 1P0
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Such a law is taking away our right to freedom of speech in Canada! This is the last freedom that we still have and even that is limited as a step closer to communism. Is this what we want for our country, our children , our gandchildren?
Robert T. Ottawa, ON , K1J 7A6
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Anonymous Powell River , BC , V8A0S8
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Anonymous Langley, BC , V2Y 2G5
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Tahsis D. Garibaldi Highlands, BC , V0N1T0
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Anonymous Edmonton, AB , T6H4M9
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
John K. Edmonton, AB , T5A0A8
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Eleonora L. Vaughan, ON , L4K 5K6
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Trisha Z. London, ON , N5X4J7
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:27pm
Anonymous Edmonton, AB , T6R 2M6
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:26pm
Anonymous Bolton, ON , L7E2N8
Oct 30, 2024 - 01:26pm