A federally funded sexual minority lobby group is opposing a government bill that would outlaw disruptive protests and intimidation outside synagogues and other places of worship, calling the measure “concerning given the rise in LGBTQ activism.”Blacklock's Reporter says Egale Canada, which describes itself as the country’s “leading organization for LGBTQ people and issues,” told the Commons justice committee that Bill C-9 could be used to criminalize activism. The Toronto-based group has received more than $2.1 million in federal subsidies so far this year.“While the law is intended to only target those with hateful intent, many members of our communities remember instances where our activism has been decried as persecution,” wrote Egale in its submission to MPs.Bill C-9, An Act To Amend The Criminal Code, would ban “obstruction” or “intimidation” at any place of worship, school, assembly hall or other “religious or cultural institution.” .A Department of Justice backgrounder said the law would cover actions such as “blocking doors, driveways or roads that are used to get to religious or cultural centres.”Liberal MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Que.), a Jewish member and former chair of the justice committee, told MPs the bill was prompted by escalating antisemitic demonstrations outside synagogues and Jewish schools. “This is legislation that comes forward after a shocking rise in antisemitism in Canada over the last two years that has led many in the Jewish community to feel very, very unsafe in the country,” said Housefather.Egale’s submission did not mention antisemitism, even though hate crimes targeting Jews are Canada’s most common, according to Statistics Canada’s Police-Reported Crime Statistics published July 22. .The report said hate crimes against Jews outnumbered those against LGBTQ people by 40%.Egale said the bill “represents the risk of criminalizing peaceful protest, a risk particularly concerning given the rise in LGBTQ activism amid growing hostility.” The organization warned that “LGBTQ protestors will be forced to question whether they could be seen as provoking a state of fear or interfering with access to a broad list of buildings, placing a tremendous burden on LGBTQ organizers.”The complaint comes after an August 25 incident when a small group called Queers for Palestine/Ottawa disrupted Ottawa’s Capital Pride Parade near the Prime Minister’s Office, clashing with other LGBTQ marchers and forcing an abrupt end to the event. The group later demanded an apology from Ottawa’s mayor for failing to “publicly support all oppressed peoples including Palestinians.”
