Hugs over Masks

Vincent J. Curtis

14 Nov 20

Through social media, someone arranged for a "Hugs over Masks" protest. It took place at the City Hall forecourt last Saturday.  The number present must have exceeded 100 people, and the alleged organizer was consequently issued a summons for violating the Reopening Ontario Act, and is subject to a minimum $10,000 fine.  Minimum.

Who couldn’t use a hug, especially these days?  The charging of a person for organizing the “Hugs over Masks” event is so unconstitutional, only the brain-dead can’t see it.

Section 2b of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of peaceful assembly.  What could be more peaceful an assembly than a hug-fest on the forecourt of City Hall?  The Orwellian-named Reopen Ontario Act is subject to the Charter, and is blatantly unconstitutional on the matter is question.  Moreover, the charging of the alleged organizer is itself dubious under common law.

If the number of people had been below the sacred number, that person wouldn’t have been charged; but it did and he or she was.  The guilt of assembly therefore lies in the crowd, but an alleged “organizer” who has no coercive power or authority over these consenting adults is the one being charged.

If the crowd had assembled to chant “Black Lives Matter!” or to condemn anti-LGBT hate, the police would have left it alone.  But since the crowd assembled partially to mock those in authority, someone had to pay.

We’ll soon see if our Charter rights and common law rights are mere words, and the cry of “Havoc!” has bamboozled the courts also.

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