M-103 anti-Islamophobia motion sparks rival protests downtown

Crowds of protesters, both for and against a federal motion condemning Islamophobia, gathered in downtown Calgary on Saturday as hundreds of others clashed in cities across Canada.

Calgary police stood on guard as dozens of demonstrators hoisted signs and exchanged chants.

More heavily-attended protests in Toronto and Montreal grew heated as police tackled several protesters and escorted them from the rallies. In Edmonton, more than 200 protesters gathered in Winston Churchill Square in a rally that saw one man arrested.

Stephen Garvey said he organized the event on behalf of the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens to protest M-103, a motion he believes infringes on every Canadian’s right to freedom of speech.

“A growing number of Canadians feel we’re under threat from this anti-Islamophobia motion — we feel it’s going too far,” said Garvey, who’s also the leader of National Advancement Party of Canada.

Counter-protester Daniel Blanchard said between antiIslamic attitudes in the United States and attacks such as the mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead in February, there are clear examples that Islamophobia is an issue that needs addressing.

“These people are denying there’s any kind of discrimination, any kind of racist attacks on the Muslim community in Canada — how many examples do you need?” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation here. They’re painting it as a blasphemy law, but it’s a motion — there are no legal repercussions.”

Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, who first brought M-103 forward in December, described the motion as a “government approach to combat systemic racism” and “tackle important issues like systemic racism and religious discrimination.” Debated in February, the motion is to be put to vote in April.

CCCC supporter Karen Draper had tears in her eyes as she explained that counter-protesters had the wrong idea about why the rally was organized in the first place.

“To call us all racist is defamation of our character,” she said. “We’re opposing a policy here. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone due to their race or religion — I just want what’s right.”

Muslim-Canadian Mona Jabbar said her reasons for attending the protest had nothing to do with M-103.

“I never thought I was different from other Canadians until recently,” she said. “I wanted to have the opportunity to speak to people with opposing views and open their minds to the possibility of not hating Muslims.”