A group of citizens has formed as a result of an Ontario city council meeting where a man accused of stealing Pride flags was able to speak for 30 minutes and “provoke hatred” from the community. gai.
Jacob (Jake) Dey, who runs a farm equipment supply store in Tillsonburg, Ontario, had been charged with theft after Pride flags in the Norwich farming community were removed. On Tuesday, the 47-year-old businessman addressed Norwich Town Hall for half an hour, in a speech comparing the gay community to a Nazi-like social movement in 1930s Germany.
No politician prevented Dey from speaking. To the people in the public gallery who asked him to stop the speech, the politicians said they were respectful and let Dey speak.
“Many of us share a very similar feeling, that we are all shocked by what we heard at the town hall meeting, frustrated that it even happened, this town hall provided this specific delegation with the platform to vomit the hatred and speech of “I hate what they did,” said Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for the citizen group.
“It made us feel really disappointed by our town and that has really led us to have to deal with the consequences of hearing this hatred, having been there, witnessing it, living with it and now Everyone was very hurt, very sad and, of course, angry. ”
During Dey’s presentation, he spoke about the Bible and questioned the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Brian Kennedy, head of a community group in Norwich Township, says the man accused of stealing Pride flags used a “hate speech” during his appearance before council on Tuesday. (Submitted by Brian Kennedy)
The group of citizens, who met Wednesday evening, discussed what to do with Dey and what is called a homophobic presentation, as well as the inaction of Norwich City Council during the presentation.
The Penal Code defines hate speech as “statements, other than in private conversations” that “deliberately promote hatred against any identifiable group,” as well as “statements communicated in any public place” that “incite hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement occurs “. likely to lead to a break in the peace. ”
Dey ignored the rules, the secretary says
When Dey asked him to present his thoughts on Pride flags to city council, officials sought legal advice on whether to let him speak, said Ken Kruger, secretary and administrative director of Norwich.
It’s the first time officials have asked for legal advice before someone talks to councilors, Kruger said.
“Based on this legal advice, he was allowed to speak,” Kruger said, but with some limitations: only about the Pride banners in the town hall spaces and not about the legal charges he faces.
Dey was also told not to speak “disrespectfully to anyone or in a way he considered hateful,” Kruger added.
Dey considerably exceeded the 10-minute limit usually given to delegate speakers. In the eight years he has been city secretary, no one running for city council has shortened the time even if he has exceeded the 10-minute limit, Kruger said.
Norwich Township Integrity Commissioner Greg Stewart said he had no comment on whether or not he had received complaints about Dey or any council member.
Norwich Mayor Larry Martin told CBC News he wished he had made more efforts to stop Dey’s presentation.
“We weren’t too interested in allowing Mr. Dey to speak, but my interpretation was that if he doesn’t touch on certain issues, he has every right to appear at a board meeting,” Martin said. “As a chair, much of the blame falls on my shoulders. A lot of things happened in that room, the room was full and I was afraid of what would happen if I stopped it.”
Since then, there have been emails from community members saying they don’t feel safe in Norwich, Martin said, which he regrets. “Mr Dey’s comments do not reflect the council’s ideas,” he said.
Image from the security camera of a house in Norwich, Ontario, shows a man taking out a Pride flag on May 24th. (Submitted by Jeff Ducharme)
Coun. Lynne DePlancke, who also attended Tuesday’s meeting, said she regrets that no one stopped Dey after 10 minutes.
“It started without hating or judging, but as it progressed, it became very hateful towards people,” he said. “As a council, this is a mistake on our part. It should have been cut.”
DePlancke is also a member of the Norwich Business Improvement Association (BIA), which voted in favor of putting the Pride flags in the city.
Coun. John Scholten said he would not call “hateful” what Dey said, but a “strong disagreement” with supporters of the Pride flags.
“Feelings are strong, that’s for sure. They’re very strong. I just wish everyone was simmering,” Scholten said.
Complaints against a member of the police board
The Norwich Police Services Board has received five complaints against Gerrit Tenhove, a provincial designated for the police board, after speaking with the Norwich Business Improvement Association about his disappointment with the BIA placing flags of the ‘Pride in the community.
“As a community of the Christian church, we cling to the authority of the Bible. In terms of gender and sexuality, the Bible is very clear. God created man and woman … in terms of sexuality, all sex outside of heterosexual marriage is sinful, ”Tenhove said in his June 7 presentation.
The Norwich Police Services Board meets on June 24 to address these complaints.