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I'm not too sure whether people are upset about the action or the cause. Peaceful assembly is an enshrined right in Canada, regardless of the issue. Is the abortion debate fueled by recent US-based information and events? Probably, but so what. People have been rallying for and against abortion in this country for decades, certainly long before the Tangerine Toddler and his gang showed up, and I've seen no indication that the topic has any political traction here.
 
lenaitch said:
I'm not too sure whether people are upset about the action or the cause. Peaceful assembly is an enshrined right in Canada, regardless of the issue. Is the abortion debate fueled by recent US-based information and events? Probably, but so what. People have been rallying for and against abortion in this country for decades, certainly long before the Tangerine Toddler and his gang showed up, and I've seen no indication that the topic has any political traction here.
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I’ll point out the Falun Gong folks have regularly been out in force in Toronto for two decades, and still haven’t gained traction with the public, despite a strong anti-China stance and claims of organ harvesting by the state.

Just because people protest, doesn’t mean the general public are into their cause.
 
lenaitch said:
I'm not too sure whether people are upset about the action or the cause. Peaceful assembly is an enshrined right in Canada, regardless of the issue. Is the abortion debate fueled by recent US-based information and events? Probably, but so what. People have been rallying for and against abortion in this country for decades, certainly long before the Tangerine Toddler and his gang showed up, and I've seen no indication that the topic has any political traction here.
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I'm not upset. I can even agree here. But I also know what they stand for.

...I mean if they where standing around draped in white sheets and/or Nazi paraphernalia holding hands while singing Kumbaya I think our conversation would be different here. >.<
 
UtakataNoAnnex said:
I'm not upset. I can even agree here. But I also know what they stand for.

...I mean if they where standing around draped in white sheets and/or Nazi paraphernalia holding hands while singing Kumbaya I think our conversation would be different here. >.<
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Not really. Unless the assembly falls under some provision of designated terrorist group legislation or crosses into what is legally defined as hate speech, we either stand by our Constitution and the principles of a liberal democracy, or we don't.
 
lenaitch said:
Not really. Unless the assembly falls under some provision of designated terrorist group legislation or crosses into what is legally defined as hate speech, we either stand by our Constitution and the principles of a liberal democracy, or we don't.
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To be clear, I am not debating their legality here...but what they represent. That said, if they demonstrating something peacefully, then no they should not be rounded up...but that does not mean we have to agree with what they stand for.

...it becomes problematic though when what they stand for starts to become public policy. And to put that mildly.
 
UtakataNoAnnex said:
it becomes problematic though when what they stand for starts to become public policy.
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That's the thing. Personally, I am worried about Canada not being immune from any of the political upheaval we're seeing in the US. And due to our tight cultural integration and largely shared news/information landscape with them, we're probably very susceptible as a society to join the US in the downward spiral they're in.

When I see sizeable anti-abortion rallies in a tiny town like in that video, I am worried that this is a first symptom of something much more sinister. These people feel emboldened by what they are seeing in the US. They're seeing voices that were marginalized for decades (and for good reasons) all of a sudden amplified by the MAGA movement and by people in the highest positions of power. Racists, misogynists, xenophobes, transphobes, fascists are no longer hiding their views. They spread them proudly on college campuses, on YouTube, on podcasts, from government offices, from the very steps of the White House.

So when our fellow Canadians who share those views watch all of that and then watch Fox News anchors constantly normalize that behavior and those views on TV, it's no wonder they feel emboldened. They start coming out of the woodworks. In droves. They start protesting, they start demanding things that are fundamentally anti-Canadian. And they would love to have political representation to turn their unheard voices into political action and legislation. All it takes is one sly charismatic right-wing populist to tap into that demand, and we're off to the races.
 
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thettctransitfanatic said:
www.theguardian.com

White House official inadvertently reveals plans to send elite army unit to Portland

Anthony Salisbury displayed chat about deployment of 82nd airborne division on cell phone while in Minnesota
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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It's bizarre how no one cares about official records anymore--everything is being discussed on an unsecure platform like Signal.

I wonder how long it will take for everyone to get privacy filters on their phone screens. Scott Bessent recently was caught reading a message about bailing out Argentina and impacts on US farmers.


1759793117635.png
 
There seems to be cycle where they send in troops and agencies to quell unrest only to be met protests...to which then they claim their was unrest so they had to send them in. Rinse and repeat...

...when we all know (probably including them as well) there would be no unrest to begin with if they just left everything well enough alone.
 
UtakataNoAnnex said:
To be clear, I am not debating their legality here...but what they represent. That said, if they demonstrating something peacefully, then no they should not be rounded up...but that does not mean we have to agree with what they stand for.

...it becomes problematic though when what they stand for starts to become public policy. And to put that mildly.
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Full Metal Junkie said:
That's the thing. Personally, I am worried about Canada not being immune from any of the political upheaval we're seeing in the US. And due to our tight cultural integration and largely shared news/information landscape with them, we're probably very susceptible as a society to join the US in the downward spiral they're in.

When I see sizeable anti-abortion rallies in a tiny town like in that video, I am worried that this is a first symptom of something much more sinister. These people feel emboldened by what they are seeing in the US. They're seeing voices that were marginalized for decades (and for good reasons) all of a sudden amplified by the MAGA movement and by people in the highest positions of power. Racists, misogynists, xenophobes, transphobes, fascists are no longer hiding their views. They spread them proudly on college campuses, on YouTube, on podcasts, from government offices, from the very steps of the White House.

So when our fellow Canadians who share those views watch all of that and then watch Fox News anchors constantly normalize that behavior and those views on TV, it's no wonder they feel emboldened. They start coming out of the woodworks. In droves. They start protesting, they start demanding things that are fundamentally anti-Canadian. And they would love to have political representation to turn their unheard voices into political action and legislation. All it takes is one sly charismatic right-wing populist to tap into that demand, and we're off to the races.
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Which circles us back to the original post where I wondered what cancer was spreading from the US to here. Anti-(pick your topic) protests have been happening in Canada for as long as I can remember. Some completely peaceful, some more boisterous.

I have seen the anti-abortion, stand-on-the-sidewalk-holding-posters (sometimes of graphic images) in all sorts of communities, big and small, for years. We've had boisterous/violent protests long before Trump showed up, often on matters that didn't directly impact Canada.

Democracy is inherently fragile and needs constant vigilance, but I'm just not seeing the threat of peaceful assembly. I'd be more concerned if the State banned peaceful assembly because it didn't like message.

I'm sorry, I'm just not seeing
 
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