From vandalism at synagogues across Canada to Vancouver being described as the anti-Asian hate capital of the world, the pressure has been mounting on the federal government to act on country’s rise in hate crime. Now, the Liberal government has tabled new legislation introducing four, new Criminal Code offences for such acts. “Sadly, there is no community that is immune from hate in this country,” said Justice Minister Sean Fraser at a news conference on Friday. “There are violent attacks against Black Canadians, rising anti-Asian hate. We see gurdwaras and mandirs vandalized and the LGBTQ2+ community threatened with, and suffering, violence.” The legislation would outlaw the promotion of hateful symbols, including the Nazi swastika. There would also be new protections for religious institutions from “obstruction and intimidation.” Vancouver’s Jewish community is among those welcoming the new hate crime bill. “I think it’s progress,” Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver chief executive Ezra Shanken told CTV News, Friday. “I think we’re moving in the right direction on this, and I feel pretty good for communities that have been vulnerable.” But others have concerns about how this legislation would be implemented. “The application of it is going to be really important to make sure that the right balance is struck between making sure that Canadians still have basic ability to express themselves, and we’re maintaining civil liberties,” said Stephen Brown, chief executive of the National Council Of Canadian Muslims. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association expressed similar concerns, specifically regarding the right to assemble to protest actions happening inside religious or cultural buildings. “I think it’s clear that this bill is really targeted at a specific type of expression, which is in support of Palestine,” said Vibert Jack, with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. “And it’s part of a larger pattern across Canada of governments targeting this particular type of expression.” Laws don’t always result in prosecution, however. Last year, Vancouver police arrested Charlotte Kates, the leader of listed terror organization Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. Nearly a year and a half later there has been no movement from B.C. prosecutors on those recommended charges of willful promotion of hatred and public incitement of hatred.
