The Canadian association of civil liberties has just launched a constitutional challenge against legislation in the city of Vaughan known as a “bubble zone” regulation. It restricts the protest within 100 meters of a place of worship, school, nursery, hospital or care center. The defenders say that at a time of growing extremism and hate crimes, the statutes are necessary to protect the access of groups vulnerable to these spaces.
Toronto and the nearby city of Oakville also approved statutes of the bubble zone last month, and several other municipalities of Ontario, including Ottawa, are considering similar legislation.
But the CCLA argues that the statutes are unnecessary and violates the rights of free expression, while other critics have argued that they are being used to silence the dissent, particularly the pro-palestine protest.
Today, the producer Allie Jaynes analyzes the surprising history of the bubble areas, the cases for and against them, and if they are using to cool the peaceful protest.
This episode refers to another episode of Front Burner, May 2024, on protests outside a synagogue in Vaughan, Ontario. You can find that episode here: Apple / Spotify
For front burner transcripts, visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
The transcripts of each episode will be available for the next day of work.
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