“A ticket for using a megaphone… Unacceptable,” the lawyer posted.
The lawyer representing downtown Ottawa plaintiffs in a $300 million lawsuit against the Freedom Convoy expressed outrage Sunday over anti-Israel protesters being fined for violating a noise bylaw.
“This is an affront to our deepest and most important democratic values: the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of asswmbly [sic]. A ticket for using a megaphone for a couple of hours on a public street to protest against a horrific war? Unacceptable,” Ottawa attorney Paul Champ posted on X.
Champ has said that the lawsuit against the Freedom Convoy truckers and their supporters, who protested in Ottawa against Covid-19 mandates during the winter of 2022, is based in part on the noise the demonstration created.
“It’s about honking. It’s about parking on the street, not for an afternoon for a protest or even a weekend for a protest, but weeks. And then idling semi-tractor trucks for prolonged periods, with the diesel fumes they emit next to residences,” Champ told Ottawa media.
Champ’s X post was in response to a complaint from Ontario Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) Joel Harden (NDP-Ottawa Centre) who was fined Saturday for using a megaphone during an anti-Israel protest.
“I love Ottawa, but I’m disappointed in my city today.”