Brampton protesters won’t get tickets for breaking COVID rules, mayor says

People who take part in protests in Brampton won’t be receiving any tickets for breaking COVID lockdown rules.

Commenting on the frequent demonstrations and rallies held in Brampton concerning the plight of farmers in India, Mayor Patrick Brown said the rights of the protesters trump the measures in place to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Speaking to Khaled Iwamura of inbrampton.com, Brown said the protests can’t be stopped.

“We’re asking people not to have protests during the lockdown, we’re asking people not to have gatherings, but the legal interpretation is that it is a constitutional charter right the freedom of assembly and the right to protest,” said Brown. “So the police will not lay charges when it comes to these protests because those charges will not stand up in the courts.”

Brown said local officials have asked organizers of the protests to wait until restrictions on large public gatherings have been lifted before they take to the streets.

“We are asking people just to be reasonable and understand that we can’t have situations or events that lead to the spread of Covid-19,” he said of the rules that have been largely ignored by those taking part in demonstrations and rallies.