PROTEST Bill C - 51

Sudbury Courthouse, March 14, 2015

Along with the Leadnow organization from Vancouver and 70 other communities across the country our Sudbury Chapter rallied over 65 Canadians in front of the Sudbury Courthouse to protest against the passing of Bill C 51.

Our opposition to the bill stemmed from severe criticism levied against the bill by:

Four former Prime Ministers and five former Supreme Court Justices

Over 100 Law professionals (Lawyers and Professors)

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association

David Suzuki

Canada’s Privacy Commissioner

Canada’s official opposition and the Green Party

A former CSIS agent

78,000 Canadians who had signed the petition opposing Bill C - 51

Our Chapter opposed the bill because:

·      The Government is using its Parliamentary majority to ram the Bill through the House

·      The bill presents terrorism and dissent with vague definitions that leave law enforcement open to severe abuses of our constitutional and civil liberties

·      The oversight of the proposed legislation is weak and ineffective

·      The need for the Bill is based on fear mongering about terrorism – just like the Bush administration

·      Canada’s existing Criminal Code and police powers are sufficient to oppose terrorism. There is no need for a 72 page omnibus bill.

Thanks to the social media, we were able to get the word out on short notice and we were joined by members of the Green and New Democratic parties, members of our First Nation community, Sudbury’s media and assisted by Sudbury’s police. Some of the speakers at the event included:

David Robinson of the Green Party

Richard Eberhardt of the NDP

Steve May of the Green Party

Penny Early of the Sudbury Chapter

Andre Clement of the Sudbury Chapter

The protest was orderly and quite lively as most drivers-by honked in support of our message. We gathered 62 signatures for the petition against the bill to be conveyed to the Leadnow movement. People were urged to sign the petition, talk to their friends and families, write to the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party and in the next election – to vote and encourage others to vote in the next election.