Protestors gather in front of Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes' office in Vernon to show their displeasure with the Conservative government's anti-terrorism bill, Saturday, March 14, 2015.
Image Credit: Facebook/Karen M. Durant
March 14, 2015 - 2:56 PM
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Demonstrators gathered across the country today to protest the government's proposed anti-terrorism legislation. In the Thompson-Okanagan rallies were held in Kamloops and Vernon.
Organizers dubbed the nationwide protests "Defend our Freedom."
The Conservative government introduced the legislation, known as Bill C-51, in January and says it will make Canadians safer.
Dozens of people showed up outside Kamloops Conservative MP Cathy McLeod’s office.
In Vernon, the noon hour rally took place in front of Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes’ constituency office. Over 50 residents turned up to show their displeasure with the bill.
The wide-ranging bill would give police much broader powers and allow them to detain terror suspects and give new powers to Canada's spy agency.
Critics say the bill, if enacted as law, will infringe upon Canadians' civil liberties and right to privacy, especially online.
Check out some of the photos posted to social media from the protests in Kamloops and Vernon in the slide show below.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca or call 250-491-0331. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— With files from The Canadian Press
News from © iNFOnews, 2015