London, Ontario bans anti-Islamization rally: “Ideologies contrary to City of London not permitted in civic spaces”
The London, Ontario city hall actually passed a motion saying: “Civic Administration be directed to prepare the necessary formal council policy to confirm the prohibition of activities of organizations whose ideologies is contrary to the City of London are not permitted in civic spaces, and/or facilities and spaces.”
So only one point of view is allowed to be enunciated in public in London, Ontario. London Mayor Matt Brown has defamed the anti-Islamization rally as hateful, no doubt without any genuine consideration, much less discussion, debate, or appeal, and is moving to shut it down.
Canada, apparently, is no longer a free country, any more than Britain is.
“Policy advocate criticizing London council’s emergency motion as an ‘attack on free speech,’” by Liny Lamberink and Matthew Trevithick, AM980, August 23, 2017:
London City Hall is coming under fire for what some are calling an “attack on free speech”, after unanimously passing an emergency motion Tuesday night to stand against hatred and racism.
It comes in response to an anti-Islam rally scheduled on Saturday by the Canadian chapter of the German nationalist and far-right political movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, or PEGIDA in its German abbreviation.
London Institute Executive Director Amir Farahi has accused council of making a “knee-jerk” reaction by condemning the activities of organizations whose ideologies are contrary to the city’s.
“[Mayor Matt Brown] said there’s no place in London for racism, bigotry, and hatred. Okay, I agree with you… but there certainly is a place for us to free assembly and for us to freely express ourselves,” Farahi said Wednesday on AM980’s The Andrew Lawton Show.
The motion is as follows: “That civic administration be directed to prepare the necessary formal council policy to confirm the prohibition of activities of organizations whose ideologies is contrary to the City of London are not permitted in civic spaces, and/or facilities and spaces.”
Farahi has launched a Change.org petition, calling on Mayor Matt Brown to repeal part of the motion.
“I’m quite disgusted by the fact that our fundamental rights, our constitutional rights here in Canada, in London, are basically being taken away from us under the guise of political correctness.”
He points out that victims of hate speech are already protected by hate speech laws, and violators face the full extent of the law….
Mayor Matt Brown has now committed to attending the counter-protest, despite saying in a radio interview this month that it would be inappropriate for him to attend and give unneeded attention to the anti-Islam group.
“I didn’t want to throw fuel in the fire,” he explained on AM980’s The Craig Needles Show.
“I’ve seen a ground swell of people moving toward attending the anti-hate rally, which I think is very positive. So I’ve moved my schedule around, and I want to join London and stand together, and just express that the vast majority of Londoners don’t accept hate.”…
“Stop the War on Free Speech in London, ON,” by Amir Farahi, Change.org, n.d.:
We the residents of London, Ontario demand that Mayor Matt Brown and the rest of City Council repeal the second part of a motion passed at City Hall on August 22, 2017 that states:
“Civic Administration be directed to prepare the necessary formal council policy to confirm the prohibition of activities of organizations whose ideologies is contrary to the City of London are not permitted in civic spaces, and/or facilities and spaces.”
This emergency motion was issued by Mayor Matt Brown at council calling on Londoners to stand against all forms of racism, bigotry and hatred.
Racism, bigotry and hatred have no place in London but our right to free speech does.
As Londoners, we are vehemently in opposition to any motion that is passed by this City Council that undermines our fundamental and constitutionals rights, freedoms, and laws under the guise of political correctness.
Andrew Sancton, the former head of Western University’s local government program and a highly respected academic in Canada said council’s vagueness could have serious consequences. “This is extremely dangerous because it looks like it’s almost limitless in its application, and it could cause all kinds of trouble,” Sancton said.
Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants every single person in Canada under section 2 with:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.Londoners who are victims of hate speech are already protected by hate speech lawsunder sections 318-320 of the Criminal Code. If anyone or any group is in violation of the hate speech clause then they will face the full extent of the law. There is a difference between dangerous speech, which is crime, and offensive speech, which we have to tolerate even if we don’t like it.
City Council is not a court of justice. They should not be pre-determining who is innocent or guilty of a crime. They are elected to govern not to adjudicate. Any person(s) or organization (s) should be given a chance to exercise their rights as Canadians and considered innocent until proven guilty.
This City Council was also not elected to ride the coat tails of U.S. politics.
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.” – George Orwell