In a resounding victory for the right to protest, former MP Derek Sloan and MPP Randy Hillier, both represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), saw their charges dropped last week. The pair had been facing penalties for their participation in a rally against Covid-19 lockdown measures in April 2021.
The Ontario government had declared a state of emergency on April 8, 2021, due to rising Covid-19 cases. Subsequently, the province implemented draconian outdoor gathering bans effectively criminalizing peaceful political protests.
Sloan, a former MP, and Hillier, a sitting MPP, openly opposed these measures, advocating that these lockdowns were doing more harm than good, and consequently attended these gatherings to voice their discontent.
The “No More Lockdowns” protest in Stratford, attended by both men on April 25, 2021, came at a time when the provincial government’s regulations had prohibited any outdoor gatherings. Both Sloan and Hillier risked maximum fines of $100,000 for their participation in this protest.
Yet, despite the severe initial threat of penalties, charges against both Sloan and Hillier were dropped in exchange for a charitable donation and volunteer work, respectively. Sloan made a contribution to a charity while Hillier volunteered at a food bank in his home county, Lanark.
“The Ontario government’s lockdowns were a grave threat to our freedom in Canada,” said Sloan, echoing the sentiment of the JCCF who took on their case. He welcomed the decision by the Stratford Prosecutor and urged other district prosecutors to follow suit and drop similar charges.
Sloan and Hillier still face similar charges elsewhere in Ontario. Notably, Hillier has launched a Charter challenge against the lockdowns that banned all outdoor protests, arguing that they unjustifiably infringed upon his rights. The hearing for this case is scheduled for July 27-28, 2023.
Ford was a disaster during COVID
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s pandemic policies saw two years of prolonged lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and even police checkpoints set up.
The largely unpopular Conservative Premier was re-elected last year with a majority government, as his opposition parties actually wanted to return back towards COVID mandates and restrictions.
