Press Room

Thousands call upon Ministers Mark Furey and Randy Delorey to keep anti-free speech “bubble zones” out of Nova Scotia

Halifax, December 19, 2019 – At 2pm today, pro-life Nova Scotians joined Life Nova Scotia’s Coordinator Ruth Robert and CLC’s National Campaigns Manager David Cooke outside the Legislative Assembly in Halifax to present thousands of petition signatures to the Honourable Mark Furey, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and the Honourable Randy Delorey, Minister of Health and Wellness, urging them to reject anti-free speech “bubble zone” legislation in the future.

“On behalf of more than 2,400 citizens who signed our petition, we respectfully called on the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Health to reject anti pro-life speech ‘bubble zone’ legislation, which serves no purpose other than to restrict the constitutional rights of Nova Scotians,” said David Cooke, National Campaigns Manager for Campaign Life Coalition. “Such a law would not only muzzle pro-life speech, and stigmatize the pro-life community in Nova Scotia, but it would hurt women in crisis. Pro-lifers who witness on the taxpayer-owned, public sidewalks outside of abortion facilities provide life-affirming alternatives and caring support to these women. Their presence has saved lives.”

“Back in 2018, Jordan Hunt, who kicked a peaceful pro-life woman witnessing on the public sidewalk, was forbidden to be within 100m of pro-life activity during his probation period; Enforcing bubble zones is how we treat criminals. It is appalling to consider treating in the same way peaceful law-abiding citizens, most of whom stand outside abortion facilities praying in silence,” said Ruth Robert, Coordinator for Life Nova Scotia. “As we've seen in the case against Fr. Tony Van Hee, the bubble zone law is also used to harass pro-lifers who are not even addressing abortion. Fr. Van Hee was arrested outside an Ottawa abortion facility for protesting the law itself, and his case is still before the courts.”

Campaign Life Coalition urges the government of Nova Scotia to defend the freedom of speech, religion, and assembly of its citizens, and to reject the demands of a very loud minority of abortion activists from inside and outside the province.

The text of the petition (which is now nearing 3,000 signatures) can be found here.

For video coverage from outside the Legislative Assembly, watch CLC’s Facebook Live here 

About Campaign Life Coalition and Life Nova Scotia
Campaign Life Coalition is a national, non-profit organization involved in political action and advocacy for legal and cultural change in Canada with respect to protecting human life and the family. It is non-partisan and encourages voting based on principles, not party. Life Nova Scotia is a provincial branch of CLC. For more information, visit www.campaignlifecoalition.com and https://lifenovascotia.com/

Media Contacts:
Ruth Robert, Life Nova Scotia, 902-410-3040
David Cooke, Campaign Life Coalition,  647-854-1974

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