Toronto city council debating controversial 'bubble zone' protest bylaw today
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Toronto councillors are set Thursday to debate a staff-recommended 20-metre "bubble zone" bylaw aimed at restricting protests around places of worship, daycares and schools.
It's a measure that comes with controversy. Some faith leaders and councillors who support the bylaw say it doesn't go far enough to protect vulnerable groups, while others say such a bylaw will infringe on people's right to protest.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday spearheaded by Coun. James Pasternak, leaders from an assortment of faiths threw their support behind the bubble zone idea — but said the proposed bylaw still needs changes.
Rev. Ron Matheson of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada told reporters that Torontonians should be able to go to places of worship without the threat of harassment, intimidation and fear. In the last year and a half, he said, he has seen hate hurled at vulnerable groups "with glee."
"It's shocking. The city of Toronto I moved to in 1995 was a safe place where this would not have been necessary, but it is necessary now," Matheson said. "Our world is changing, our country is changing — but we can do something about it."
The latest recommendations from city staff come after months of demonstrations in front of hospitals, places of worship and cultural centres following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza from Israel.
The proposed bylaw would not mean blanket ban across the city but would instead operate on a request-based system and allow vulnerable institutions to apply for a 20-metre buffer zone that would be in place for roughly six months.
Similar bylaws enacted in Vaughan, Brampton
For a buffer zone request to be approved, the owners of any institutions would have to demonstrate how they've been affected by a protest within the last 90 days. After the six-month period is up, the application could be renewed, the proposed bylaw says.
If passed, Toronto would follow in the footsteps of other cities including Vaughan and Brampton, which implemented similar measures last year after waves of protests and clashes sparked calls to prohibit such events near buildings considered to be social infrastructure in the eyes of the city.
WATCH | Reaction to proposed ban on protests near places of worship:
Toronto considers ban on protests near places of worship
5 months ago
Duration 7:42
Police and bylaw officers are expected to warn people in these zones before issuing fines, allowing them the chance to leave the area voluntarily. If the buffer zone bylaw is passed in Toronto, the maximum fine would be $5,000.
Staff say a 20-metre buffer is a "reasonable perimeter" that will protect access to the facilities, while being "minimally impairing" on Charter rights.
Others disagree. At Wednesday's news conference, Coun. Dianne Saxe called the bylaw proposed by staff an "insult to the Jewish community" that will "not provide any protection," while Coun. Brad Bradford said it was "totally inadequate."
Groups warn of infringement on right to protest
Bradford took issue with the application process putting the onus on groups to have to apply for protections, and called for a bubble zone distance more in line with those seen in Vaughan and Brampton, at 100 metres. Pasternak said he could see a range of 50 to 100 metres, accounting for the realities of a "tight urban environment."
"I don't want people who have been subjected to this to have to come and fill out a form and say, 'We have been victimized, we need protection,'" Bradford said. "That should be available to them and it shouldn't be a big, bureaucratic process."
In Vaughan and Brampton, the ban automatically applies to places of worship and no application is required.
Conversely, a joint letter sent to the city last week from The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Centre for Free expression says the bylaw "represents a significant risk to peaceful expression and assembly, and is not necessary in light of existing police powers.
"The police already have broad powers to protect access to property and to intervene in the event of a threat to human physical safety, including during protests," the letter reads. "Therefore, a new bylaw is simply unnecessary."
Coun. Paula Fletcher, who represents Toronto–Danforth, was one of several councillors who attended a rally last month pushing back against the proposed bylaw, saying at the time "it's a very fine line that we have to walk" when it comes to people's Charter rights.
Staff say the city is expected to spend roughly $1.6 million to hire 12 staff and purchase the vehicles and laptops required to administer the bylaw. It says another $200,000 will be needed for public education as part of the proposal.
If approved by council, the bylaw would come into effect on July 2.
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