VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Some call it unconstitutional and one councilor calls it a sledgehammer to deal with a flea. A revised bylaw that makes protestors apply for a permit to set up structures on city streets has been approved by Vancouver council.
The move stems for the long standing Falun Gong protest hut outside the Chinese consulate on Granville Street.
COPE councilor David Cadman voted against the revised bylaw, saying it represses freedom of speech. "You'll only be able to have it (the structure) for 30 days and you'll only be able to have it between 8:00am to 8:00pm and then you'll have to take it down. We're once again, through a street bylaw, trying to infringe on the rights given to people in the charter."
Vision councilor Kerry Jang voted in favour of the revised bylaw. He calls it a step in the right direction. "The City of Vancouver has every right to regulate structures and our previous bylaw actually did not permit any structures at all for political purposes or anything on city streets. In all other jurisdictions these types of structures are not allowed and this is a real first for the city of Vancouver and in fact, all of Canada."
In China, Falun Gong is a banned spiritual movement.
Tuesday was the BC Court of Appeal ordered deadline for a reworked bylaw.