B.C. government to restrict protests at places of worship

Establishing a perimeter where protests are banned around places of worship will protect people from intimidation and harassment, the premier said.

The B.C. government is proposing a law that would ban disruptive protests within a certain perimeter of places of worship, in addition to the existing bubble zone around schools.

If passed, the legislation would extend 2023’s Safe Access to Schools Act for two more years, and the 20-metre buffer would apply to churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras and temples.

Inside the “access zones,” police are allowed to arrest or ticket people for certain “disruptive or harmful behaviours” such as harassment, intimidation or impeding access.

Premier David Eby said incidents at faith institutions within B.C. and elsewhere in Canada have raised concerns, referring to the recent shootings at synagogues in Toronto.

“We need to make sure that people are able to attend their place of worship and feel comfortable doing so and feel protected in doing so. There is no place in our province for racism, for discrimination, for Islamophobia, for antisemitism, we will not stand for it,” he said at a news conference Monday, standing in front of a group of leaders from a variety of religions.

Since 2023, there have been more than 40 “protest disruptions” at B.C. schools that interrupted students’ learning, and in some cases police were called, according to the province.

 Since establishing safe zones around schools disruptions decreased “very significantly,” but were not completely eliminated, Eby said, necessitating the law’s extension into 2028.

“In British Columbia, freedom of speech, the right to protest, remains an important right that is protected and peaceful protests will always be protected in our province, but harassment and intimidation of students, teachers, people attending places of faith cross the line,” Eby said.

He said he hopes the new legislation sends the same message as the rules around schools, “which is, just give your head a shake. That’s not the best place for your protest; take it somewhere else.”

Attorney General Nikki Sharma said the proposed law is an attempt to balance freedom of expression and freedom of religion, to make sure “the social contract is maintained.”

She said the access zones are not off limits to people, but prohibits certain acts like physically blocking access to the place of worship, persuading people not to enter or playing loud music to disrupt a service.

Places of worship that want protections under the legislation would be required to put up signs saying that the access zone is in effect. If passed, the law would remain in effect until 2030.