If C-11 and C-30 – the Internet censorship and privacy eroding bills – aren’t enough to convince you that Canada’s Conservatives are threatened by freedom, then perhaps bill C-309 will help change your mind.
In this new draconian legislation, activists caught demonstrating while sporting a mask could face up to 5 years in prison. So much for our Chartered Right to lawful assembly.
Proponents of the bill claim that during riots and unlawful assemblies, people wear masks to hide their identity to perpetrate crimes anonymously, which is true. Except during a riot, savvy criminals would likely conceal their faces anyways, making this bill useless as a deterrent against looting and vandalism and other shameful mob behaviors – actions which are already illegal!
On the other hand, bill c-309, if it passes, would give law enforcement one more tool to break up peaceful assemblies. Say it’s cold out… demonstrators could face long jail terms just for trying to prevent frostbite.
Or how about the notorious Guy Fawkes mask (seen above) which has been adopted by the freedom fighting group Anonymous. Now citizens may find themselves shackled just for showing solidarity with the progressive people’s movement.
This bill has little to do with public safety. Instead, for one, it’s another blow against dissent in Canada. Two, it is another Conservative attempt to perpetuate the myth that crime is out of control in Canada so that we – the poor, vulnerable citizens – need our big, brave government to step in and save us.
Of course most of us know this isn’t true, but Harper and his cronies have their majority right now so expect them to do maximum damage while they still can.
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Tags: anonymous, c-11, c-30, c-309, conservatives, cover, face, fawkes, freedom, guy, harper, mask, stephen, tories
