Hundreds gather in front of City Hall for nation-wide protests
Posted Mar 14, 2015 4:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
More than 800 Calgarians stood outside of City Hall on Saturday to protest the controversial Bill C-51.
The protest, which was organized by Protest Canada, was nation-wide, with crowds gathering in Vancouver, Toronto and other major Canadian cities throughout the day.
For protestor Candace Webb, the bill is concerning because it will affect the rights of Canadians, and “human rights in general.”
“I think there’s been a lot of fear regarding terrorism in general, but I think that fear can’t control us,” Webb said.
Protestors were chanting “Kill the bill,” and “No justice, no peace, no secret police,” during the protests, and many had signs with similar messages.
If passed, the bill would give more power to Canadian intelligence agencies; something that protestors feel is too extreme.
“I’m worried about peoples’ privacy being taken away from them,” Christopher Wilyman, another protestor, said. “The government is trying to give law enforcement agencies too much power to do things.”
Steve Mustafa, who works for Protest Canada, said this bill violates Canadians’ rights without taking any accountability, and is “irresponsible.”
He said Protest Canada does not oppose a bill that would protect Canadians, but this bill is not the right way to do that.
For him, this protest is a way for all Canadians to send a message to members of Parliament.
“Kill the bill. We don’t want this. Or at least kill it in its current form,” Mustafa said. “Amend it in such a manner that it’s actually acceptable to Canada and Canadians.”
According to Steven Blaney, Canada’s public safety minister, the bill is in line with the government’s commitment to protect Canadians from Jihadist terrorists who seek to destroy Canadian values.
