CANADIAN LABOUR MONTRÉAL:

THE RIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE:

The following brief notice is from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The Supreme Court has decided to reject an appeal from various motorists who claimed damages because they were "inconvenienced" by a demonstration of City of Montréal blue collar workers back in 2003. It's nice to know that we do indeed still have the right to demonstrate in Canada. it's sad, however, that this took six years of expensive litigation to prove.

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Supreme Court upholds the right to demonstrate:
October 9, 2009 08:56 AM
Yesterday, the highest court in the land refused to hear appeals from citizens demanding compensation for inconvenience suffered during a demonstration by Montreal blue-collar workers in September 2003.

Initially, the Superior Court had ordered the blue-collar workers to pay a fine of $25 to $35 to 435 people; but subsequently, the Court of Appeal had concluded that the right to travel by car without suffering undue delay does not fall under the Charter of Rights.

The president of the Montreal blue-collar workers’ union (CUPE 301), Michel Parent, welcomed the news. "This Court decision enshrines our right to demonstrate," he said.