Protesters clash in Ottawa ahead of M-103 debate

• More than two dozen police officers had to separate duelling mobs on Parliament Hill Tuesday afternoon after the two groups spent their lunch hour hurling loud and often profane epithets at each other in support of or in opposition to an anti-Islamophobia motion that was debated in the House of Commons Tuesday evening.

A handful of men in each group nearly came to blows but for the clutch of RCMP officers standing between them.

One group perched itself on the steps in front of Centre Block to protest Motion 103 or M-103, introduced in the House of Commons by Iqra Khalid, a Pakistan-born Liberal MP from Mississauga, Ont.

MPs will vote on M-103 Thursday afternoon. Given that the Liberal majority in the House of Commons supports M-103, it is certain to pass.

Khalid seeks to accomplish three things with M-103: First, that the House “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination;” second, that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage be instructed to study the issue of “eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia;” and, finally; that the federal government collect data on hate crimes for further study.

The motion is not a bill and, should it pass in a House of Commons vote, it would create no new laws nor would it change any laws.

And yet, of the 35 or so people protesting against M-103 Tuesday at lunch, many shouted that they believed the adoption of M-103 will be the first step toward stifling free speech and establishing Sharia Law in Canada.

A handful of the antiM-103 protesters were wearing “Soldiers of Odin Canada” sweatshirts.

Soldiers of Odin, on its Facebook page, says it is a nonprofit dedicated to defending the charter of rights and freedoms but its critics allege it is an anti-immigrant, anti-refugee group.

The mob that was counter-protesting called them “Nazis” and “fascists” and chanted “Soldiers of Odin, go back to Sweden.” There were only about 25 in the counterdemonstration, all of them wearing balaclavas or otherwise covering their face.