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Halifax will join cities across the country on Saturday to protest a bill giving Canada’s intelligence agency sweeping surveillance powers.
A broad coalition of citizens and advocacy organizations are concerned the federal government’s Anti-Terrorism Act will create a secret police force and impinge on democratic dissent. Simultaneous demonstrations are planned in cities across Canada on March 14 to educate the public about Bill C-51, says Krista Simon, a regional co-organizer of the planned day of action.
“It’s imprudent of this government to be forcing any more omnibus bills through,” she says, “and particularly this [bill] when so many experts are speaking out against it.”
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Over 100 academics have signed a petition asking Members of Parliament to amend or dissolve the proposed legislation, fearing its vague language will allow the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to detain any individual suspected of terrorist activity. Under the new legislation, any web content considered “terrorist propaganda” may also be removed by a court order.
“The move to prohibit communications which advocate or ‘encourage terrorism offences in general’ is troubling to me,” says senior legal officer at the Centre for Law and Democracy Michael Karanicolas in an email. “Thirty years ago, these kinds of provisions would likely have criminalised support for Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress.”
The Conservative government introduced the controversial legislation on January 29. Initially raising eyebrows among legal experts, a growing opposition to the bill has been forming that cuts across political lines. A prominent gun-rights group is joining a privacy coalition in Ottawa at committee hearings this week to speak out against Bill C-51, according to Stefan Avlijas.
“This bill would elevate the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s powers to allow them to intervene in an internal, domestic manner, as a sort of police force,” says the digital campaigner for leadnow.ca, an organization involved in planning the day of action.
“I am troubled by the massive expansion of powers and responsibilities for our security agencies, with no proper oversight for how they will be exercised,” writes Karanicolas. “One of the key lessons we are meant to have learned from the appalling treatment of Maher Arar, who was tortured with our government’s complicity, is the need for better accountability over our national security agencies. Bill C-51 is precisely the wrong direction to be moving in.”
In 2002, Ottawa resident Arar was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on his way home from vacation. Detained over suspected links to terrorism, the CIA deported him to Syria where he was jailed and tortured for a year. After a public inquiry in 2007, he received a $10-million settlement from the Canadian government and an official apology from prime minister Stephen Harper.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has said that, although he would like to see amendments made to the bill, his party will support it. The New Democratic Party stands opposed to it.
Megan Leslie, the NDP deputy leader and environment critic, says the bill would give intelligence agencies the alarming ability to disrupt wildcard protests—including those, for example, that might be planned against Bill C-51. “Terrorism is a real threat, but we can’t protect our freedoms if we just sacrifice them,” Leslie says.
The anti-terror legislation is currently under committee review in the House of
Commons.
Day of Action Against Bill C-51
Saturday March 14, 1pm
Victoria Park, Spring Garden Road at South Park Street
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This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2015.
So, what you’re saying is, it’s wrong for someone to be publicly humiliated,professionally sanctioned and accused of something they may not have had any intention of doing, just because they posted something on social media and the government got wind of it?
Thanks for clearing that up.
What do are you guys protesting for? Don’t you know that TWO people have been killed by terrorists in Canada in the past decade! We NEED to spend these millions of dollars and sacrifice some of our freedoms because people a half a world away have posted some videos on YouTube asking our fellow Canadians to attack their fellow citizens.
But really, this is purely political. Maybe there are some other motives to stifle protests and such, but Harper knows he needs to differentiate the CPC from the others to have a chance in the next election. He’s choosing your fear as that differentiator. He wants you to see the CPC as the only party that’s tough on terrorism and crime (while his buddies make millions off new jails and save millions by cutting the nutrition budget). The liberals support this bill solely for political reasons as well. They know what Harper is doing and have chosen their response carefully. Can’t say I fully agree with it, but it’s likely a smart political move.
We have Bill C-51 because some fucking idiots didn’t vote. Oddly, they are the ones who are in charge of organizing this “Day of Action”.
Protest away ya’ fucktards. Harper has a majority.
You really think people who would organize this would also not vote? News flash, Halifax/Dartmouth MPs are NDP and only 4/11 of the ridings in NS are conservative. Those 4 being rural areas.
I’m guessing you mean young people not voting is a major reason why Harper has a majority, in which you are right, but things like this can only increase people’s awareness and willingness to vote. There was enough public outcry over the fair elections act that it at least got amended. Hopefully this will do the same.
I hope people recognize the sarcasm in the first part of my previous post. More people are killed by moose in Canada than terrorists. We’re getting a solution to a problem we don’t have.
Harper is doing what he is doing because he gets his orders from Obama,Canada is treated like a slum from the Americans,Obama barks and Harper jumps, same way as when A.E. Newman was in power,I’m a grumpy old man of 75 yrs and the reason I’m grumpy is because I remember the past and the future is here with no guidance for the teen age mom’s
who get paid $500.oo a month plus welfare at $1500.oo, aaah Canada what have we done??
Only the leftards and the NDP are against this bill. I for one don’t care because I have fuck all to hide. If this means a safe Canada so be it.
So Hugh, as I assume you’re a right wing conservative who’s into fiscal conservatism, does it make fiscal sense to you to spend millions on a problem we don’t have?
Hugh et al. Sleep tight. You have nothing to fear. Your government will protect you. Stephen wouldn’t put his agenda before your safety. As long as you give up your freedoms.
If you live in urban Halifax/Dartmouth you are at no risk of being killed by a moose.
If you live in urban Halifax/Dartmouth you will be close to several major military and defence related facilities…….
…and? How many times since this war on terror have they been attacked?
right, 0. They’re “threatening” malls, not stad or shearwater.
I wonder what that person dislikes…facts….or that our CF bases haven’t been attacked yet.
I hate the “well I have nothing to hide” argument. Neither do I, that doesn’t mean I just want to give up my right to privacy.
Bill C51 is nothing compared to the cyber bullying law we have in NS, as far as warrantless searches and electronic surveillance, free speech and privacy; government agents will come to your door if you hurt some pwecious speshul snowflaek’s feewings and Self Esteem. Glen Canning can arbitrarily arrest people for editing Wikipedia because you not allowed to offend the Royal Family of Nova Scotia! Yet all these social justice lefties and Feminazis protesting C-51 are the same ones who DEMAND the “cyber bullying” law!! Commie hypocrites