Toronto’s police chief banned public protests on the Avenue Road bridge. Protestors on the bridge were displaying Palestinian flags, protesting Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Chief Myron Demkiw said the protest posed a threat to public safety and that members of the Jewish community felt unsafe. He also said, there are limits to freedom of speech.
Yes. He said that. The Chief of Police said there are limits to freedom of speech and proceeded to set his own.
As a child of Latin American immigrants, I know to worry when police chiefs make declarations about what rights citizens have (or don’t have) and make up their own laws about where we can protest (and where we can’t). Public safety has always been an excuse to cut constitutional rights, especially when no evidence is provided.
As a Canadian, I don’t like my rights eroded. Or my neighbours’.
As a journalist, this is one of my core beliefs: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This idea attributed to Voltaire describes the principle of freedom of speech. Once we start banning protests because we disapprove of the message, where does that leave us?
I would not be able to write this if there was no freedom of speech.
No one at City Hall, Queen’s Park or Parliament has defended our democratic right to protest on that bridge. I guess for our elected officials, the Avenue Road bridge is a bridge too far when it comes to our freedoms.
I wonder what other messages will be disapproved of in the future?
