Protecting Public Health from Protest Disruption
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination clinics became essential infrastructure. They were places where people came to protect themselves, their families, and their communities — yet many of these sites became flashpoints for aggressive protest and harassment. In response, provinces across Canada took swift legal action to establish temporary bubble zones around vaccination clinics and hospitals, prioritizing safety while maintaining respect for democratic freedoms.
These protections weren’t just about pandemic management. They established a critical legal precedent: When vulnerable infrastructure is targeted, and public safety is at risk, governments can — and must — act to create safe spaces through legislation.
What Happened During the COVID-19 Crisis?
Between 2020 and 2022, a wave of anti-vaccination protests disrupted operations at hospitals, clinics, and testing sites across Canada. Healthcare workers were harassed. Patients were shouted at. Some clinics had to shut down or increase private security, diverting essential resources during a time of public health crisis.
The response? Emergency legislative action:
- British Columbia introduced legislation to protect healthcare facilities with legally enforceable access zones.
- Ontario used the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act (2021) to fine and remove individuals impeding access to healthcare services.
- Alberta and Quebec followed suit with measures to protect hospital and clinic access during emergency declarations.
Though some of these measures were temporary, they demonstrated what is possible when lawmakers are willing to act decisively to defend access and safety.
Why These Protections Matter Now
If we recognize that protests outside vaccine clinics crossed a line — creating unsafe and hostile conditions for patients and workers — why should the same protections not apply when:
- A synagogue is targeted to protest foreign affairs?
- A hospital is surrounded by hostile crowds protesting healthcare reform?
- A school board office is blocked by aggressive protestors shouting at students and staff?
What these situations have in common is that they don’t involve debate — they involve targeted intimidation. And just as vaccination clinics needed legal safeguards, so too do other institutions that serve the public and face coordinated harassment.
Precedent Sets the Path Forward
The success of these public health protection measures shows us three key things:
- Bubble zones are effective and enforceable. Police and bylaw officers used these legal tools to ensure safety without inflaming tensions.
- They stand up to scrutiny. Courts recognized that these temporary limits on protest activity were justifiable under Section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which permits reasonable limits on rights and freedoms when demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
- They are temporary when needed — and permanent when necessary. While some laws were designed to lapse, others paved the way for long-term tools that can be adapted to future threats.
Expanding the Scope of Protection
We are now in a moment where the need to protect infrastructure — not just from pandemics, but from ideologically motivated harassment — is growing. Bubble zones should no longer be seen as extraordinary. They should be seen as essential tools in a democratic society.
They do not silence dissent. They simply ensure that protest does not become personalized, targeted, or dangerous.
✅ Take Action: Help Build Safe, Respectful Communities
Just as we protected vaccination clinics during a time of crisis, we can protect community spaces now from targeted harassment. The legal groundwork is already in place. The precedent is strong. What we need is public will.
Write your Mayor, city councillors and Members of Provincial Parliament and Visit BubbleZones.ca to learn more about the legal framework, see examples of success, and join the movement to expand bubble zone protections where they are needed most.
Because protecting public health, safety, and access isn’t just for emergencies — it’s the foundation of a just and inclusive society.
