Regulating protests near places of worship

Overview

Some residents have expressed concerns over protests taking place outside of places of worship. One incident occurred in Mississauga in the fall of 2024. Other protests have happened in Brampton and Vaughan. In a few cases, protests that started out peaceful turned violent with worshippers being harassed, threatened and even physically assaulted.

Everyone has the right to peaceful protest. The City will not interfere with protests as long as gatherings remain peaceful and comply with all laws and by-laws. The public also has the right to safely access community spaces without fear of violence or intimidation.

Many places of worship also provide food and support to our most vulnerable citizens. Protests should not prevent people from accessing services they need.

The Canadian cities of Calgary, Vaughan and Brampton have already developed a by-law to create “buffer zones” around sensitive locations, like places of worship, schools or hospitals.

Project objectives

As part of our research process, the City will consult with:

• Experts
• Other municipalities
• The public
• Affected community groups

We’ll look at our existing nuisance gathering by-law and decide if it addresses the concerns that have been raised. We’ll also explore the possibility of creating a new by-law to regulate protests near places of worship in Mississauga.

All research, feedback and ideas gathered during this process will be used to inform a recommendation that will be presented to City Council in May 2025.

Get involved

We will be talking with the community as part of our research to get different perspectives, considerations and what the impact on the community may be.

Through a survey and other public engagement activities we will ask residents to:

• Share their experiences
• Help define what a place of worship is
• Give ideas to help inform our recommendation