Ontario city approves bylaw to restrict protests near places of worship [Video]

City council in Brampton, Ont., unanimously approved a bylaw Wednesday to restrict protest near places of worship following a series of violent demonstrations outside a Hindu temple earlier this month, a move the mayor says aims to “encourage harmony” amid escalating tensions.

The bylaw states that no person “shall organize or participate in a nuisance demonstration within one hundred metres” of a place of worship, and it is “not intended” to prohibit peaceful protest.

The motion was brought to council by Mayor Patrick Brown following two days of violent protests outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered weeks ago. Social media posts at the time appeared to show protesters clashing, with some holding banners in support of a separate Sikh country called Khalistan and others holding India’s national flag.

The protests led to multiple arrests and the suspension of a Peel police officer. They also prompted statements from several high-profile …