The city of Edmonton, prepared to add hate symbols as a form of harassment under public places statutes, could result in a $ 250 fine

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The City of Edmonton is preparing to tighten its rules around hateful messages in public spaces to include non-verbal communication and symbols.

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At its first meeting of the new term, the council’s public and community services committee unanimously approved changes to the city’s public places bylaws that would prohibit harassment through gestures or symbols directed at race, religion, sexual orientation. and gender identity. Adding this clause that includes non-verbal communication, such as signage, would close the gap in the statute initially approved by the previous council in August that specifically targeted verbal hatred.

The amendment to the bylaws will be put to a vote in plenary session in the council later this month before it can go into effect. Under current harassment rules, the fine would be $ 250 with higher costs for repeat offenders.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said this addition is a key step in addressing incidents of hate and racism in Edmonton, which he promised as a top priority during his election campaign following a series of attacks on racialized residents, specifically Muslim women. The motion comes just a week after the council unanimously approved the creation of an anti-racism strategy to address hate-based violence.

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Although hate cases will be addressed on a case-by-case basis after complaints are made to the city, Sohi asked law enforcement officials to ensure that the perspective of minority communities is taken into account when deciding on punishments. He referenced the use of tiki torches at a downtown rally in the spring as something that may not be a problem for some, but deeply concerns minority groups.

“When I saw the tiki torch marches downtown, for me as a racialized person, it was a scary thing to see. But I also heard from my other colleagues that they are not of racial origin and their impression of it was different until I engaged with them in a dialogue about why he conveyed a different message to me, ”Sohi said. “As you make the decision on what is a hate symbol or not, I hope there is a possibility to collaborate with organizations like the advisory committee against racism and other organizations to bring that BIPOC perspective and determine what kind of impression that symbol makes. to people rather than being done internally. “

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While all supported the intent, some councilors raised concerns about how it would be enforced without an established determination of which symbols would be considered a crime and that instead, each case will be considered individually based on the complaints filed and public perception. Some also questioned the restrictiveness of the ordinance, as the city only has authority over public places and not privately owned or electronically via social media.

“That is going to be the challenge. This ordinance is limited to public places and much of what happens on the Internet and social networks will not necessarily be in that public place, “said the city’s legal advisor, Nancy Jacobsen. “It is the limits of the municipal jurisdiction that are going to be a challenge, but this certainly gives us another tool where we need it.”

Councilors will receive an update on the status of the 14 recommendations from the community safety and wellness task force next Monday.

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