A lawyer representing pro-Palestinian activists accused of criminally harassing Canadian federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller claims that the charges are an attempt to suppress free speech. The three accused individuals were protesting outside a Liberal byelection campaign office in Montreal when they confronted Miller and his employees in a car, yelling messages such as “shame on you.” The activists, Mohanned Mansour, Samar Elkahlout, and Wendy Ing, were charged with criminal harassment and mischief, accused of damaging the car Miller was in. However, their lawyer, Barbara Bedont, denies that her clients caused damage or posed a threat to Miller or his employees. She believes that politicians and police are increasingly targeting protesters, especially those advocating for the Palestinian cause, in an effort to silence dissent.
Elkahlout, also known as Samar Alkhdour, had been advocating to bring her daughter to Canada earlier in the year. Tragically, her daughter passed away in Gaza before permission was granted. Elkahlout has been holding sit-ins outside Miller’s office in Montreal to protest Canadian government policies regarding Palestinian refugees. Bedont secured conditions for her clients that allow them to continue their protests, with limitations such as staying at least 50 meters away from the minister and his employees. The Crown initially proposed more restrictive conditions, including staying away from Miller’s office entirely and refraining from denouncing him on social media. Bedont argued that these conditions violate her clients’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly, protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She hopes that prosecutors will drop the charges against her clients before the court date in November.
The case comes at a time when some politicians are calling for stronger penalties for those who harass Members of Parliament. Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino proposed creating “protective zones” around political constituency offices to protect MPs and their staff from threatening behavior. While Bedont supports the idea of safeguarding politicians and civil servants from violence, she warns against using such measures to quash criticism and free speech. She believes that any law aimed at suppressing speech would not withstand a challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The lawyer hopes that the charges against her clients will be dropped before the case returns to court in November.
Miller’s office has refrained from commenting on the matter as it is currently before the courts. Bedont argues that the trend of targeting protesters, particularly those supporting the Palestinian cause, is part of a broader pattern of suppressing free speech by politicians and police. She points out that freedom of speech protects not only popular and agreeable speech but also speech that may be offensive or insulting. She emphasizes that politicians, in particular, should be able to tolerate criticism and dissent. Bedont believes that the case against her clients is an example of authorities trying to curb dissent and hopes that the charges will be dropped before the scheduled court date. She believes that the right to freedom of expression and assembly should be protected and that any attempts to infringe on these rights should be challenged and overturned.
