Proposed bylaw would keep protests away from places of worship in Mississauga

Mississauga is moving forward with a proposed bylaw that would keep demonstrations at least 100 metres away from places of worship following recent outbreaks of violence during protests in both Brampton and Canada’s seventh-largest city.

Mississauga city council unanimously adopted a motion on Wednesday that directs staff to “consider the feasibility of implementing a bylaw that prohibits demonstrations within 100 metres, or within reasonable distance, of places of worship at the earliest possible time.”

Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla, who tabled the motion, said she did so with an eye toward keeping people safe and free from intimidation as they attend places of worship in Mississauga. Protests, even relatively peaceful events, are on the rise across the region, she added.

Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla tabled the motion calling for demonstrations to be kept farther away from places of worship.

“I wish we didn’t have to bring this motion forward … I’m the last person who wants to put any kind of limitations on Charter rights (to protest peacefully),” she said before council briefly discussed the motion and then passed it. “But we are doing this … for faith communities of all sorts. We know these kinds of protests have been going on for some time and they’re very distressing.

“Just imagine for a minute,” Damerla continued, “that you’re going for your regular Sunday service and a Canadian flag is being burned as you go to church. It’s peaceful, it’s allowed, it’s lawful, but what is the signal that it sends as you go to prayer? Because I do believe that prayer is that last sanctuary where we allow grace to even those we don’t like and that line has been crossed over and over again. And that’s why we are here.”

The councillor added that recent cancelled events at two temples due to threats of violence from protesters is not acceptable.

“That’s wrong; that’s the rule of law not being upheld,” she said.

Following recent violent demonstrations in Brampton, city council in that municipality is also looking to beef up bylaws to better secure places of worship.

Brampton wants to introduce bylaws to establish community safety zones around places of worship after demonstrations last week led to criminal charges. Four people were arrested after protests turned violent, spilling into Mississauga as Hindu and Sikh residents clashed.

Also this week, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah gave his support to making places of worship off-limits to protesters.

He said the recent demonstrations outside temples in both Mississauga and Brampton warrant action to keep people safe.

Ward 5 Coun. Natalie Hart said people seeking access to food banks could also be intimidated by protesters at places of worship.

Mississauga Ward 4 Coun. John Kovac said care must be taken to not infringe on people’s ability to “speak freely and express themselves freely,” but he added “nobody wants to see where you have aggressive protesting to the point where it’s intimidating people and making them feel unsafe.”

The motion’s seconder, Ward 5 Coun. Natalie Hart, said the issue of protecting people extends beyond worshippers.

Among her concerns, she noted, is that “many of our places of worship also serve as a way to address food insecurity in our communities, and when we are creating an unsafe space (with) the protests, especially when they’re ongoing, we are also impeding some of our more vulnerable citizens from accessing those supports.

“It’s a difficult motion,” Hart continued. “Balancing rights is not something that we really want to be trying to do, but we also need to make sure we are creating safe spaces in our communities.”

Recent violence began on Nov. 3 when a clash took place at Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton with some people carrying flags and banners in support of the successionist movement for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan.

That was followed by counter protests at both the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Malton in Mississauga and the Hindu Sabha Mandir, Damerla said in her motion.

Demonstrations have also been held at Westwood Mall in Malton and police said two planned visits by the Indian consulate scheduled in Mississauga and Brampton this weekend have been pushed back “to allow for tensions to ease.”