Canadian towns pass motions to 'ban protests in front of places of worship' after Hindu Sabha temple attack

Two cities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) passed measures on Wednesday (Nov 13) to restrict protests near places of worship.

Mississauga was the first to pass the motion, where the city council approved a motion introduced by Councillor Dipika Damerla. The motion passed unanimously, with all ten council members voting in favour.

Following the vote, Damerla wrote on X, "#Mississauga council just passed a motion directing staff to look at implementing a bylaw that bans all protests in front of all places of worship. This is leadership."

As per the motion, city staff would work to “consider the feasibility of implementing a by-law that prohibits demonstrations within 100 metres, or within a reasonable distance, of a place of worship at the earliest possible time.” Brampton City Council also passed a similar motion later that same day.

This comes after an incident on November 3, when pro-Khalistan activists attacked the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton while protesting against an Indian consular camp being held there.

In response to that incident, counter-protests happened the same night outside the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sabha gurdwara in Malton. The following day, a rally was held at the Hindu Sabha Mandir condemning the violence.

Mississauga’s motion said, “Such protests in front of places of worship, even when peaceful can create an intimidating barrier that has to be passed in order to access the place of worship.”

Due to safety concerns, two temples in the GTA, Brampton Triveni Mandir and the Toronto Kali Bari in Mississauga, announced on Monday that they would be cancelling consular camps scheduled for the upcoming weekend. On Tuesday, Canadian authorities said there was no information about any “direct threats” to GTA places of worship, though Indian consular camps were postponed to help ease tensions.

In a statement released Wednesday, Peel Regional Police (PRP) said, “Peel Regional Police is aware of community concerns, particularly at places of worship, regarding demonstrations and perceived threats. Peel Regional Police wish to clarify that we have not received any direct threats against any place of worship in the Region of Peel.”

The Peel Regional Police added that it was in regular contact “with the Consul General of India, as well as places of worship and community centres to work collaboratively to mitigate risks for the community.”

They added, “Given the current tension in the community and a shared interest in maintaining public safety, the organisers agreed that Consular Camps be postponed to a later date to allow for tensions to ease and limit any negative impact on the community.”

(With inputs from agencies)