Vaughan city council endorses proposed bylaw to ban protests near places of worship
Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca says city council has unanimously endorsed a proposed bylaw that would ban protests near places of worship after the city saw a number of demonstrations earlier this year that he said “crossed the line.”
Del Duca said his member’s resolution, presented to council on Tuesday, received the full support of council. Now, city staff are tasked with creating a bylaw that prohibits protests which “intimidate or incite hatred, intolerance or violence” within 100 metres of the city’s “vulnerable social infrastructure.”
“We witnessed large-scale protests here in the city of Vaughan and Thornhill that were extremely disturbing to many of our residents,” Del Duca said at a Wednesday morning news conference. “Those demonstrations occurred near synagogues, schools… and the images that emerged from those demonstrations were extremely jarring and not at all in keeping with what the overwhelming majority of Vaughan residents have become accustomed to, or what they are prepared to accept.”
Those found to be in contravention of the bylaw will face a fine of up to $100,000.
One of the protests Del Duca made reference to in March when the proposed bylaw was first announced was a demonstration that unfolded outside a Thornhill synagogue that month.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and pro-Israel counter protestors scuffled at times outside of the Clark Avenue West and Bathurst Street place of worship on March 7, resulting in a number of arrests.
Del Duca said he is in contact with York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween, who he said also supports the proposal. Police will now work with the city to develop a “joint enforcement framework” to be included in the bylaw that will go before council.
“I'm confident that by taking clear and necessary action we will be able to continue to build a pluralistic, tolerant, diverse, inclusive community here in Vaughan,” Del Duca said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
ANALYSIS Will Donald Trump go to prison? What the precedent says
Now that the jury in Donald Trump's criminal trial has made the historic decision to convict him, the judge overseeing the case will soon face a monumental choice: whether to sentence the 2024 Republican presidential candidate to time behind bars.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Loblaw testing out small-format No Frills grocery stores
Loblaw is testing smaller-format discount stores across the country this year as shoppers increasingly look for ways to save on their grocery bill.
Here's what you should know about Donald Trump's conviction in his hush money trial
Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts marks the end of the former president’s historic hush money trial, but the fight over the case is far from over.
Doomsday plot: Jury convicts Idaho man of killing wife and girlfriend's 2 children
An Idaho man was convicted Thursday of killing his wife and his new girlfriend's two youngest kids in a strange triple murder case that included claims of apocalyptic prophesies, zombie children and illicit affairs.
Russian missiles kill 4 in Kharkiv after Biden OKs a Ukrainian response using U.S. weapons
Russian ballistic missiles slammed into an apartment block in Kharkiv and killed at least four people in a night-time attack, Ukrainian officials said Friday, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden gave Kyiv a green light to strike back with American weapons at Russian military assets targeting the country's second-largest city.