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 2 of 169
Anonymous Parry, SK , S0H 3L0
Nov 27, 2024 - 04:31am
The original "Charter of rights & freedoms in Canada" is at stake here....
Anonymous Calgary, AB , T2Z 1H4
Nov 26, 2024 - 09:14pm
Unborn lives matter too.
Nikolaos B. Ottawa, ON , 631 Northampton Drive
Nov 26, 2024 - 06:17pm
The proposed "bubble zone by-law" is a further attack on society's God-given rights and freedoms by taking away our democratic and religious means of expressing our opposition to evil and tyrannical acts by our elected, but unaccountable officials....
Teresa D. Falkland, BC , V0E 1W0
Nov 26, 2024 - 05:57pm
Anonymous Oshawa, ON , L1K 0V9
Nov 25, 2024 - 09:47pm
Anonymous Ottawa, ON , K1N 8M1
Nov 25, 2024 - 06:46pm
Fundamental human rights supercede government mandates
BRENDA W. PRESCOTT, ON , K0E1T0
Nov 24, 2024 - 10:34am
This will basically takeaway ALL rights to any kind of peaceful protest , whether religious based or not. this borders on "1984 " or Nazi like laws but most of the public are not aware as the press don't report on things like this.
AHJ S. HOORN NH, 0 , 1625 TD
Nov 24, 2024 - 03:55am
ACM M. Blokker, 0 , 1695CM
Nov 24, 2024 - 03:55am
ACM M. Hoorn, 0 , 1695 CM
Nov 24, 2024 - 03:53am
Hélène B. Winnipeg, MB , R3R 1M5
Nov 23, 2024 - 06:08pm
Cecile H. Drayton Valley, AB , T7A 1K9
Nov 22, 2024 - 11:03pm
Brian J. Hanna, AB , T0J1P0
Nov 22, 2024 - 10:10pm
Sharon Lynn U. Stettler, AB , T4K 0B7
Nov 22, 2024 - 09:56pm
Anonymous Saskatoon, SK , S7J 3M1
Nov 22, 2024 - 05:00pm