This action is for those in Ontario, to write to their own provincial member of parliament, but will be of interest as more of these “bubble” bylaws and legislations show up across Canada!

On May 8, 2025, Liberal MPP John Fraser brought forward a Bill 16, a Private Members Bill called “Sacred Spaces, Safe Places Act, 2025”. He said, “[w]hat it does is establish that our churches, our mosques, our temples, our synagogues are places that are free from harassment so people can practise their faith freely.” This Bill was originally introduced by Liberal MPP John Fraser in June 2024 as Bill 208. It passed first reading but no further action was taken.

The purpose of the Act is said to be about protecting religious institutions by prohibiting certain activities – including advising a person to refrain from accessing the institution, persistently requesting that a person refrain from accessing the institution or certain actions for the purpose of dissuading a person from accessing the institution – within 150m of a religious institution.

However, this Bill, if enacted, could significantly impede our Charter protected right to protest. This Charter right is not limited by location. Protests at or near religious institutions are important ways to express our discontent with violations of human rights, national and international law. Laws already exist to protect individuals from hate speech, harassment, and violence. We do not need another law for that. This law will only further impede our rights to freedom of speech, expression, and assembly.

Why is maintaining the right to protest at or near religious institutions important?

There are many recent examples of circumstances that preempt a protest at a religious institution.

•     Protesting the sale of occupied and stolen land: community members protested the sale of land in the occupied West Bank at a synagogue hosting a real estate event

•     Protesting the denial of unmarked graves at former residential schools: Indigenous folks protested outside of a Catholic Church after the priest stated that reports of unmarked graves at formal residential schools were “lies”

•     Protesting anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric: community members protested outside of a new church because of their anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric

•     Protesting war criminals: community members may want to protest at various religious institutions when they host individuals who have shared evidence of participation in potential war crimes

•     Protesting illegal military occupation: community members may wish to protest outside of religious institutions when leaders support military occupation (e.g., protesting at churches, synagogues, and temples against the military occupation of Kashmir or Palestine).

If enacted, Bill 16 would allow the police to “arrest without warrant a person the officer believes, on reasonable and probable grounds, has committed, or is committing, an offence under this Act.” The punishment for a first offence could be up to $5,000 fine and six months imprisonment. On a second or subsequent offence, it would require a fine between $1,000 and $10,000 dollars and a year in jail.

This law is a facade. This type of legislation is a method of violent state control that is clothed in the language of “safety.” Tell your MPP to say no to Bill 16.

Calls to Action

1. Write a letter to your MPP through Action Network

2. Reach out and advocate directly to your MPP

3. Set up a phone zap or email campaign with your local advocacy group to raise the alarm