Around 200 people gathered at city hall Tuesday morning to oppose a controversial proposed bylaw that would limit “nuisance” protests, despite expectations it would be shelved by council Tuesday.
Labour organizers, religious leaders and other protesters held signs with slogans such as “Fight for your right to protest” and “You are the nuisance.”
Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) originally put forward the proposal for a Safe Access to Vulnerable Infrastructure bylaw, which would ban “nuisance” protests and intimidation within 100 metres of schools, places of worship, hospitals and other locations. On Monday, Duncan said he had changed his mind after public feedback, adding he had the support of Mayor Scott Gillingham and fellow members of the mayor’s executive policy committee to shelve the bylaw.
Hundreds rally at City Hall on Tuesday opposing a proposed bylaw restricting “nuisance” demonstrations. (Mikaela Mackenzie / Free Press)
Caryn Douglas, a minister in the United Church of Canada, told protesters and councillors to not “let the rising tide of fear of the other shape us.”
“Denying access to be seen and heard on the streets is denying advocacy for justice,” she said.
Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter
EPC will hear from over 100 delegates speaking in opposition of the proposed bylaw and two in favour at Tuesday’s meeting.
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
EPC meets at City Hall on Tuesday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)
People rally at City Hall on Tuesday opposing a proposed bylaw restricting “nuisance demonstrations” under discussion by the executive policy committee. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)
Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak.
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