The Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario condemns Toronto Mayor, Olivia Chow, and the Toronto City Council for their recent vote to approve the unjust “bubble zone” bylaw. The Bylaw, which comes into effect on July 2, restricts protests from taking place within a 50-metre “bubble” around places of worship, daycares, schools and institutions, citing this decision to protect vulnerable groups.
Despite an overwhelming number of depositions being given by those who spoke highly in opposition to the bylaw, with more than 60% being unsupportive of such a bylaw, deeming it unnecessary, Toronto City Councillors ignored the public and shamefully followed other “bubble zone” bylaws that have been implemented in other cities across the province. Toronto City Council voted in favour of restricting protests and demonstrations, effectively voting against the right to free speech. As we are seeing more efforts of crackdowns, surveillance, and suppression since October 2023, the use of law enforcement is a blow to freedom of expression; further, criminalizing pro-Palestine demonstrations is a pattern that can be seen across our campuses, the province, and the country.
This bylaw sets a precedent for further repression not only in the city, but on our campuses across the province – an active effort to intimidate those resisting state violence and to hold the state accountable. Students continue to witness administrations at our institutions implementing baseless regulations and policies to silence student voices when they are being held accountable. It is no different with the passing of this bylaw – these are just tactics to deter people from organizing. However, as we see more of these efforts, the people—the students, will continue to fight against the system that perpetuates and enables oppression.
Make no mistake, this was never about protecting vulnerable groups. The bylaw poses a significant risk to peaceful demonstrations and protests that infringes on our fundamental rights to peacefully assemble and organize. The police don’t keep us safe, the state does not keep us safe – we keep us safe.