Centennial Park has long been Salt Spring’s go-to spot for protests and displays of opinions about any number of local, national or international concerns.
Strongly worded signs are a natural part of such gatherings. In fact, singing and sign-carrying Raging Grannies used to be a common sight in the Saturday Market space itself. Canadians’ right to express themselves in such ways in a public venue is guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It shouldn’t matter if the people expressing their opinions about important matters through words on a sign are also selling fruit, vegetables and flowers at the same time.
After the non-profit society board now running the market received some complaints about Sofya Raginsky’s “Stop Genocide – Free Palestine” sign in her Heyday Farm booth, it decided to limit vendor market signage and literature to product promotion alone. The understandable backlash has caused them to put a pause on the change, for now, and to obtain further legal advice.
It is not only hard to see how the censorship move could be considered legal, it is also not called for.
It’s okay or even good to feel uncomfortable sometimes. Maybe we don’t want to be reminded of atrocities in the world, or political viewpoints we vehemently disagree with while out shopping, but that should never outstrip anyone’s right to free expression that is not a call to arms, hate speech or a directive to harm others. Raginsky’s sign is a simple, quiet but strong expression of disapproval of the large-scale killing of civilians being undertaken by the Israeli government.
Raginsky is willing to accept the consequences of expressing her opinion in a public space. People don’t have to buy her produce and flowers, or look at the sign if they are offended by it.
In a letter to the Saturday Market board, she said one argument for censorship made to her was that without a policy, then “holocaust denying and [Make America Great Again] signs might also appear.” Her response was spot on. “Most likely they won’t. And if they do? If a vendor decides to display their MAGA sign, let them, and see what happens to their sales. And hate speech is a whole other ball game. There are laws about hate speech. And there are laws about free speech too.”
I didn’t get the chance to vote in the political sign debate at the Saltspring market. But if I had, I would certainly vote NO political signs at the market. And, those who choose to go against market policy are creating our own war here on the island. No thank you. Market business should be just that, post your opinions on your own land/property.
The sign was up for along time before anyone made a fuss about it .
Several people do not regard it as political .