Ottawa City Council need look no further than the shameful courtroom admissions and subsequent statements from five pro-Palestinian protesters and their supporters to understand why the proposed bubble bylaw to protect schools, places of worship, and care homes is not only justified—but urgently necessary.
The facts are as clear as they are disturbing. On November 18, 2024, a protest organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement began at Ottawa’s Human Rights Monument and quickly spilled onto downtown streets. Despite being “advised multiple times” by police to stay on the sidewalk, protesters obstructed traffic and disrupted public order.
Four individuals—Josh Lalonde, Ayman Fadil, Ali Nasser El Dinne, and Hassan Hamed—were arrested on the spot. Sarah Wazzi-Moukahal, identified in court as a protest leader, was arrested days later for allegedly encouraging demonstrators to disobey police and for physically obstructing officers.
According to Deputy Crown Attorney Moiz Karimjee, the protesters had “an incomplete and inaccurate understanding about the right to protest being absolute and without limitations.” While charges were stayed in exchange for charitable donations and written admissions of guilt, Karimjee made it clear:
“The right to protest is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, the right to protest is not absolute… The community has a right to law and order. Change cannot be pursued by breaching criminal law.”
In her court letter, Wazzi-Moukahal displayed her blatant disregard for democratic protest and the law in Canada.
“I understand that I was not fully informed about the lawful limits to these rights… I acknowledge the importance of adhering to the law and ensuring that such rights are exercised lawfully.”
Yet despite these acknowledgements of guilt, the Palestinian Youth Movement had the audacity to then claim “victory” in a May 9 social media post, declaring:
“Victory: all charges dropped! Today, our community members walk free with their heads held high. “They went further, framing legal consequences and proposed bylaws as acts of suppression:
“The Palestine movement worldwide is increasingly under attack by those in power… Arrests, heavy fines and the creation of new bylaws to restrict our Charter-protected rights are all tactics used to intimidate and silence us.”
That’s the narrative being pushed by protest organizers. But in a civil society, our challenge is not to appease those who misuse the Charter—but to defend it against those who would weaponize it to spread hate and chaos. The Charter protects lawful expression, not lawlessness disguised as protest.
And that is precisely the issue.
This isn’t about silencing dissent. It’s about upholding the law and protecting vulnerable people—children, seniors, worshippers—from hostile and intimidating demonstrations outside their schools, synagogues, churches, mosques, and community centres. When individuals stand in court, admit they broke the law and misunderstood the very rights they invoke, then emerge claiming “victory,” it sends a dangerous and deeply dishonest message: that if your cause is loud enough, legality is optional—and hate speech is just free speech by another name.
Ottawa’s proposed bubble bylaw would create a 100-metre buffer around vulnerable social infrastructure, similar to protections already in place around hospitals during the pandemic. The goal is simple: prevent hostile, disruptive, or hateful demonstrations from taking place on the literal doorstep of schools or places of worship. As Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill, who helped lead the motion, explains:
“The only change under such a bylaw would be now [protesters] have to do so 100 metres from that building’s doors… Those 100 metres may seem small, but they provide the necessary distance to prevent bad actors from harassing people just trying to get through their day-to-day lives free of intimidation.”
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who co-sponsored the motion, has also voiced support for further examining how to implement such a bylaw in Ottawa. That process is now underway at City Hall.
The group’s dismissive attitude toward legal consequences—after admitting they obstructed police, broke the law, and had no idea of the limits of their rights—is a chilling reflection of what happens when protest becomes a free-for-all. It is not freedom when Holocaust survivors are trapped inside a community centre during a smoke-bomb-laced demonstration. It is not “peaceful” when daycare staff must call parents to pick up their children out of fear. These are not protected expressions, they are attacks on the safety and dignity of others.
This is why the bubble bylaw is important. To be clear, it does not take away anyone’s right to protest. What it does is prevent intimidation disguised as free speech, ensuring that demonstrations do not cross the line into harassment.
Protesting is a fundamental right—but doing so unlawfully is not. Ottawa’s vulnerable communities deserve both that distinction and the protections it provides. The blatant disregard shown for the legal process and the principles of Canadian democracy is not just reckless—it is an outright attack on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the values that form the foundation of our society. This behavior demonstrates profound disrespect for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who fought and sacrificed their lives in wars to uphold our rights and preserve civility in this country. It is more than irresponsible—it is a stark reminder of why the bylaw is essential in safeguarding democratic integrity and maintaining public order.
Header image: Hamas protester in front of Hillel Lodge and the Na’Amat-Ottawa Jewish Tele school in Ottawa’s west end.
