Ethics Series — The Ethics of Protest: How Far is Too Far?

Protests are part of our Canadian tradition and make an essential contribution to our democracy. Marches and demonstrations send a message to leaders and to the greater community that problems exist, perspectives are being ignored and actions need to be taken. As Vaclav Havel said, “Those that say that individuals are not capable of changing anything are only looking for excuses.” Section 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrines “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression” thereby protecting any activity that attempts to convey meaning, including the right to protest. 

But the right to protest is not absolute: Section 1 guarantees Charter rights, but an individual’s rights “can be limited by law so long as those limits can be shown to be reasonable in a free and democratic society.” This raises the question of what reasonable limits can be placed on protests and demonstrations? Hate speech certainly comes to mind as does public safety, and whether the rights of others are being unduly affected by the actions of protestors (such as blowing truck horns for weeks on end in downtown areas to protest vaccinations.) 

Recently, there have been escalations where protests have veered towards extremes and even violence. In Winnipeg, protests about the Christmas 2023 actions of staff at a hotel, who restrained with zip ties, a woman from a northern Manitoba First Nation who allegedly attempted to stab a hotel staff member as they were waiting for police to arrive. Protests accelerated after social media showed videos of the woman with protestors thrashing the basement of the hotel and forcing its closure after management and staff received threats. In Toronto, in the wake of the Hamas-Israel conflict, Deputy Mayor Michael Colle said the city was at a “tipping point” after the suspected arson of a Jewish-owned deli with the words “Free Palestine” spray painted on the outside of the building. 

Join us to discuss the Ethics of Protest on how best to preserve the right of freedom of expression while enforcing reasonable limits to maintain public order and protect the rights of the broader public.  

Panellists: 

• Rev. Bob Haverluck — Theologian and artist
• Emily Hines — Climate activist focused on water with expertise in communications, public engagement and government relations
• Peter Sloly — Massey’s Changemaker-in-Residence, and former Ottawa Police Chief
• Tom Axworthy — Massey Senior Fellow and Public Policy Program Chair (moderator)

Agenda

This event is will be accessible online only. 

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