In our first case funded by the Censorship Defence Fund, the Canadian Constitution Foundation is assisting a Niagara Falls woman who was arrested for silently protesting during a City Council meeting on June 17, 2025.
The applicant, Lauren O’Connor, was among demonstrators arrested for holding small paper signs which read “The Women of Ontario Say No” to advocate for stronger accountability for local officials facing criminal charges.
After being denied the chance to speak as a delegation, members of the advocacy group Women of Ontario Say No (WOSN) attended the council meeting and held the signs non-disruptively in their laps. Mayor James Diodati refused to begin proceedings until the signs were put away, citing the Decorum Policy for Public Meetings which bans all signs and “symbolic materials” inside council chambers.
Banning all signs and symbols is an unjustified and extreme limit on free expression. Ms. O’Connor is being represented by the CCF’s Josh Dehaas alongside Kristopher Kinsinger of SV Law in Guelph, Ontario.
(Photograph by Ed Smith for The Pointer)
Niagara Falls Sign Ban (O’Connor v Niagara Falls)
CCF Launch: July 28, 2025
Jurisdiction: Ontario Divisional Court
Status: Ongoing
Next Key Date: Week of June 21, 2026
Donate
Related Press Releases:
Main Documents & Files:
