Around 40 people gathered in front of the Alberta Legislature on Monday to voice their displeasure with M-103, a federal motion that condemns Islamophobia.
The rally was held on the one-year anniversary of a Quebec City mosque attack, where six men were gunned down.
The demonstrators wanted to tell Ottawa that the motion, which is non-binding, is encroaching on their right to free speech.
“It’s an erosion of our constitutional rights that Justin Trudeau is trying to enforce,” says protester Steven Olynyk.
Bill Missen told CBC News that he felt compelled to oppose the motion.
“I can’t let this go. I can’t have people telling me what to think and what to say,” said Missen.
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Organizer Ninna Poulsen says the day of the protest was not chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, but marks the beginning of the next session of Parliament.
Poulsen added that she wasn’t bothered by the optics of the timing.
“If you want to make a day for somebody, you make a remembrance day for everyone that’s died, not just one group,” said Poulsen.
A vocal counter-protester disrupted the gathering at times, but the crowd remained calm. Several police officers were on hand to diffuse any tensions.
A group calling itself the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Government created the event online.
The same group is inviting protesters to rally against Justin Trudeau on Feb. 1, during the Prime Minister’s town hall meeting at MacEwan University.