Ottawa city council signs on to campaign to ban Nazi symbols in Canada

Ottawa City Hall is seen in this undated file photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa city council has voted unanimously to support a campaign to ban Nazi symbols nationwide.

College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson put forward the motion Wednesday to support B’nai Brith Canada’s campaign petitioning the federal government to enact a nationwide ban on iconography and symbols associated with the Nazi regime, most notably the Hakenkreuz, or “hooked cross”, often referred to as the Nazi swastika.

The motion, which was seconded by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, also calls on the city clerk to write to the prime minister, the justice minister, and local MPs to express the city’s support for the ban, and to seek the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ endorsement of the campaign.

Johnson said hate crimes have been a growing problem in Canada.

“Nazi symbols are appearing on protest signs, on vehicles, and worn on clothing and I remain concerned that this is becoming almost casual in its use, and it really instills fear and despair in the hearts of Jewish people,” she said. “Whenever we see people opposing inclusivity, tolerance, and acceptance, we see Nazi symbols.”

The Ottawa Police Service said that the hate and bias crime unit dealt with 467 incidents in 2024, a four per cent decline from the year prior. Jewish residents were targeted by hate-motivated crimes more than any other minority group in Ottawa last year, with 113 reported incidents.

When speaking specifically about the Hakenkreuz, Johnson made a point to distinguish it from the swastika.

“We’re avoiding using the word swastika because it is actually a Sanskrit word describing a symbol of peace, used by many southeast Asian communities for millennia, and often this can be confused. Understanding the difference between the swastika and what is known as the Nazi hooked cross or Hakenkreuz is part of the reason why several southeast Asian communities and organizations are supporting the B’nai Brith Canada campaign,” she said.

Nazi symbolism is banned in several countries around the world, including much of Europe, as well as Australia, Brazil, and Israel.

Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matt Luloff, chair of the Ottawa Public Library Board, supported the motion but said the city’s letter to the federal government should note that the intent should not be to erase the past from view, echoing the B’nai Brith’s inclusion of exceptions for certain educational and artistic purposes.

“An outright ban without any consideration would have a negative impact on the elements of the public library operations, such as collection development,” he said. “We must maintain the ability to read about the darkest moments in our history in order to learn from them.”

While Canada does not have specific legislation banning Nazi iconography, wilful promotion of antisemitism, wilful promotion of hatred, and public incitement of hatred are indictable offences under the Criminal Code.