Anti abortion flag causes stir at Ottawa city hall

OTTAWA — A flag honouring an anti-abortion movement caused a stir in the country’s capital after it was raised at Ottawa City Hall.

The city proclaimed Thursday “March for Life Day,” a declaration that has been made in past years — but city councillors said the anti-abortion group’s flag was flown at city hall as part of that proclamation for the first time. Seven city councillors called for the flag to immediately be taken down, saying in a joint letter that the flag represents a “personal conviction to restrict a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion.”

They said city policy on flag raisings state “a proclamation will not be issued for matters that ... represent individual conviction.” The councillors also noted that the right to abortion is constitutionally protected.