Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Today, hundreds of community members gathered at Queen’s Park to stand up for the rights and freedoms that belong to everyone in Canada. Thank you to everyone who showed up, made their voices heard, reminded us that the best defence against government overreach is a public that won’t be silenced. A special thanks to our speakers: Brent Jolly, President of the Canadian Association of Journalists; Julia Croome, Director of Litigation Practice at Ecojustice Canada; Bill Sinclair, CEO of TNG Community Services; and Martha Hradowy, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO).

Moments like these are a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together, and of why this work matters. Our rights are only as strong as the people willing to defend them, and today you proved how strong they can be.

This Thursday, we're gathering at Queen's Park to challenge democratic erosion in Ontario.

Over the past two years, the Ontario government has waged an unprecedented battle against accountability, transparency, the rule of law and human dignity. Freedom of information access has been severely restricted. Cabinet has been empowered to exempt companies it selects from laws it chooses. Homelessness has been met with enforcement instead of housing. And government-appointed supervisors have replaced elected school boards.

Four different issues, all pointing in the same direction. Together they describe a democracy being eroded in stages, law by law.

Join us, alongside speakers from the Canadian Association of Journalists, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO), Ecojustice Canada, and TNG Community Services, to say these safeguards matter. Democracy requires vigilance, and vigilance means showing up.

Show up with us this Thursday, November 5th, from 12 to 1 PM, at Queen's Park. This event is free and open to everyone. Our optional registration link can be found here:

action.ccla.org/page/201632/pe…

Civil liberties are not privileges that governments can withdraw when they become inconvenient. And protests do not have to be quiet or polite to be constitutionally protected: they can be disruptive and offend some without ceasing to be peaceful.

Last Friday, CCLA submitted feedback on the Ontario government’s proposal to prohibit unauthorized protests from obstructing a roadway, even where there are no safety concerns. CCLA also highlighted how several of the other proposed measures would simply duplicate existing laws and police powers.
Public safety matters. But existing laws already provide tools to address genuine safety concerns. Without evidence of a legitimate public safety issue that remains unaddressed by current frameworks, the government’s proposal risks doing little more than eroding civil liberties without making anyone safer.
Read our full submission here:

acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc…

Yesterday, CCLA joined the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and other groups at a press conference responding to the Quebec government’s plan to ban religious symbols for elementary school students.

Our Quebec Spokesperson and Director of Fundamental Freedoms, Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, had a clear message for the government:

“A 10-year-old girl should have the right to go to school. Period.”

For more than seven years, Bills 21, 94 and 9 have pushed people out of public life because of their religion, with a disproportionate impact on Muslim women. Workers have lost their jobs, students have changed their career plans, and some parents can no longer volunteer at their children’s schools. Now the government wants to expand the ban to children in schools.

Quebec’s school principals’ associations have said religious symbols are not an issue in schools and have warned that students could drop out. The government’s move is a solution in search of a problem, and it puts children’s fundamental right to education at risk.

We are far from alone in this fight. Hundreds of civil society groups are mobilizing through the recently launched Coalition Against the Instrumentalization of Secularism in Quebec. Our work has only just begun, and we will continue to fight these discriminatory laws until everyone in Quebec can learn, work and take part in public life without having to choose between their personal faith and their rights.

You can read our full statement here:

ccla.org/press-release/…

Hier, l’ACLC s’est jointe au Conseil national des musulmans canadiens et à d’autres groupes lors d’une conférence de presse visant à dénoncer le projet du gouvernement du Québec d’interdire les signes religieux aux élèves du primaire.

Notre porte-parole pour le Québec et directrice du programme des libertés fondamentales, Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, a adressé un message clair au gouvernement :

« Une fille de 10 ans devrait avoir le droit d’aller à l’école. Point final. »

Depuis plus de sept ans, les projets de loi 21, 94 et 9 contribuent à exclure des personnes de la vie publique en raison de leur religion, avec des conséquences disproportionnées pour les femmes musulmanes. Des travailleuses ont perdu leur emploi, des personnes étudiantes ont dû revoir leurs projets de carrière et certains parents ne peuvent plus faire de bénévolat à l’école de leurs enfants. Voilà maintenant que le gouvernement souhaite étendre cette interdiction aux enfants qui fréquentent l’école.

Les associations de directions d’établissement scolaire du Québec ont affirmé que les signes religieux ne posent pas de problème dans les écoles et ont prévenu que des élèves pourraient décrocher. Le gouvernement propose ainsi une solution à un problème qui n’existe pas, tout en mettant en péril le droit fondamental des enfants à l’éducation.

Nous sommes loin d’être seuls dans ce combat. Des centaines d’organisations de la société civile collaborent par le biais de la Coalition contre l’instrumentalisation de la laïcité au Québec. Notre travail ne fait que commencer. Nous continuerons de lutter contre ces lois discriminatoires jusqu’à ce que chaque personne au Québec puisse apprendre, travailler et participer à la vie publique sans avoir à choisir entre ses convictions religieuses et ses droits.

Lisez l’allocution complète ci-dessous :

ccla.org/fr/communiques…