Skip to content

Sudbury takes part in national rally against Bill C51

Bill C-51, the governing Conservatives' anti-terror legislation, became law June 18, but that didn't stop protestors across Canada – including Sudbury – from rallying against the bill on Saturday.
C51sized
About a dozen people took part in a rally out side the Rainbow Centre on Saturday against Bill C51, the federal government's anti-terror legislation that became law June 18. Photo by Darren MacDonald.
Bill C-51, the governing Conservatives' anti-terror legislation, became law June 18, but that didn't stop protestors across Canada – including Sudbury – from rallying against the bill on Saturday.

Angele Provencher, an organizer of the Sudbury event attended by about a dozen people, said it's important that Canadians demand whomever they vote for in the upcoming federal election repeal C51.

"It's important for Canadians -- all Canadians, not just those of us gathered here today, but for all gathered today across our nation -- to come together in solidarity for this cause, to repeal Bill C51,” Provencher said.

“It's against our Charter of Rights and Freedoms that people fought for decades for us to have. Now here they are just stripping them away.

"It's just wrong, what's being done."

The Conservatives passed bill, which was supported by the Liberals but opposed by the NDP. Provencher said she's grateful one of the main parties stood against the legislation.

"They're pretty much our voices,” she said. “We can't go into the House of Commons and speak for ourselves ... Hopefully when the election comes, we're going to vote for the people who are going to repeal this."

Among other things, C51 makes it a crime to encourage someone to commit an act of terrorism, share material promoting terrorism and it makes it easier for police to arrest people without a warrant.

If a person is suspected of being a threat to national security, government departments can share their personal information and the Canadian Service Intelligence Service gains more powers to disrupt suspected terrorist plots.

Critics worry that elements of the bill are too broad and will allow the government to spy or harass Canadians involved in legitimate political activities. Provencher said the Conservatives have given themselves powers they don't need to fight terrorism,

"I definitely agree we need the power to keep us safe,” she said. “But we already have (laws) in effect to combat terrorists ... They (the government) needs to sit down and go through this bill more thoroughly and take (certain) things out."

Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Darren MacDonald

About the Author: Darren MacDonald

Read more