civil liberties groups blast new Canadian censorship bill criminalizing vague "hate symbols" | Eastern NC Now

Advocates of democracy and free speech have joined the Conservative Party and Party Quebeqois in opposing Canadian parliament bill C-9, the "Combatting Hate Act" as an attack on free speech and on democracy itself.  The latest concern over the bill is that it criminalizes "hate symbols" without listing or defining them, leaving that up to politicians and judges.  The bill also allows prosecution of people for posting or saying verses from the Bible or Koran.

The Bill has already passed the lower house of parliament and is now in the Senate. Leaders of the Free Speech Union of Canada and of the Democracy Fund have both testified there against Bill C-9.

"We predict that Bill C-9 if passed without amendment will produce more prosecutions for speech crimes and peaceful protests, target dissidents, journalists, academics, religious minorities, and peaceful protesters," Democracy Fund Executive Director Mark Joseph declared, "Bill C-9 threatens freedom of expression, removes protection for religious speech, and creates sweeping new hate-related offenses."

https://www.rebelnews.com/the_democracy_fund_s_mark_joseph_sounds_alarm_over_combatting_hate_act_during_senate_testimony

"Canadians may find themselves unable to criticize protected ideologies," warned Free Speech Union of Canada Executive Director Lisa Bildy, saying the bill would "grant the government the power to shut down unpopular protests or political opponents".  In particular she criticized the failure to list or define what the bill criminalized as a "hate symbol" pointing out that some left wing groups used that term for the Red Ensign, which was Canada's national flag at independence and for almost a hundred years thereafter, including during both world wars.

https://www.rebelnews.com/bill_c9_will_criminalize_flags_memes_and_protests_free_speech_union_of_canada