Protect places of worship
Petitioners ask Canada to condemn attacks on places of worship and strengthen protection and prosecution. The government responds it introduced Bill C‑9 to criminalize obstructing access to worship and funded a Combatting Hate plan.
Why we would sign this petition
- Would increase safety at places of worship by directing prevention, protection and prosecution measures to reduce violence and vandalism.
- Would affirm and publicly reinforce the protection of religious freedom for diverse faith communities.
- Could improve accountability by prioritizing investigations and prosecutions and clarifying legal protections for worshippers.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- New measures may duplicate existing criminal laws or policing without delivering clear new enforcement tools.
- Effective protection likely requires substantial funding and coordination across jurisdictions, posing practical and fiscal challenges.
- Broad or hastily drafted rules risk unintended limits on lawful protest or free expression near religious sites.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Canadians of all faiths should be free to worship in safety without fear of violence, vandalism, or intimidation; In recent years, numerous churches across Canada have been attacked, vandalized, or burned, causing harm to communities and congregations; Attacks on places of worship undermine social cohesion, public safety, and the values of tolerance and respect that Canadians hold dear. Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the Government of Canada to: Condemn the ongoing attacks on churches and all places of worship. Direct the Government of Canada to take stronger measures to prevent such attacks, protect places of worship, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice; and affirm its commitment to the protection of religious freedom for all Canadians.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by The Parliamentary Secretary Patricia Lattanzio Canada has faced a troubling rise in hate speech and hate crimes in recent years, including disturbing incidents of vandalism as well as intimidating and obstructive behaviour in front of places of worship such as churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras. The government is firmly committed to defending freedom of religion, as guaranteed by section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to taking concrete action whenever this fundamental freedom is threatened. All people in Canada should be able to pray, preach, teach, interpret scripture, and express religious belief, without fear of violence or other intimidating behaviour. To better protect all people in Canada, including how they worship, gather, and practice their faith in their daily lives, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025. The Combatting Hate Act proposes to explicitly prohibit intimidating someone in order to impede them from accessing places of worship, as well as schools or community centres used primarily by an identifiable group or obstructing access to such places. Additionally, the Bill proposes to make it a crime to promote hatred against an identifiable group by displaying certain symbols of terrorism and hate in public, as well making hate motivated crime a specific offence, ensuring such conduct is more clearly denounced and that offenders are held accountable. These measures would strengthen Canada’s ability to counter hate-motivated crime and hate speech across the country. To confront hate in all its forms, Budget 2024 announced $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims. These investments include $28 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for the Federal Victims Strategy to provide support to victims following a hate-motivated crime and $1.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for developing and delivering specialized training to Crown prosecutors and to raise awareness in the judiciary about the unique dynamics of hate crime. A strong Canada protects every person’s right to worship freely, while ensuring that no one is targeted with acts of hate that threaten public safety or social cohesion.