INTERVIEW | Defending civil liberties, defending democracy

The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) is a coalition of Canadian civil society organizations, including Inter Pares, working to protect civil liberties and human rights from the negative impacts of national security and anti-terrorism measures. Tim McSorley, ICLMG’s coordinator, spoke with us about how defending civil liberties is essential to protecting democracy.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

• Why was ICLMG founded and how was Inter Pares involved? 

ICLMG was founded in 2002 in the wake of the attacks in the U.S. on September 11th, 2001, and Canada’s response. There was incredible growth in the use of surveillance tools, police powers and national security measures, a sharp increase in xenophobia, Islamophobia and hate-based violence, and mounting criminalization of the aid sector. The sector was worried by the significant negative impacts of new anti-terrorism laws on limiting humanitarian aid and international cooperation. Inter Pares was one of the key organizations and leading forces that initiated the first meetings and helped form the coalition.

• How does protecting civil liberties support democracy?

Protest and free expression are fundamental to democracy. We see our work as supporting democracy and people’s ability to be involved in democratic decision-making—not just voting, but engaging with MPs, protesting and exercising free expression. That includes speech people might find disagreeable or offensive. 

• Are you seeing parallels between the post-9/11 context and today?

Definitely. In both contexts, people are protesting for peace, against war, to save people's lives. The rhetoric we’re seeing now—labeling people protesting the genocide in Gaza as extremists or supporters of terrorism—is very similar to what we saw after 9/11. 

Once put in place, new national security laws (like the Anti-terrorism acts in 2001 and 2015 and 2017’s National Security Act) justified in the wake of 9/11 or similar crises, tend to stick around and get repurposed. We’ve seen them used against Indigenous land defenders, and now again in the context of Gaza protests. The context changes, but the patterns are the same. 

• What happens to democracy when civil liberties are eroded?

When civil liberties are eroded, there’s a chilling effect—people don’t know if their rights will be protected or if they’ll be investigated or charged just for speaking out. That fear stops people from participating in democracy. We’ve seen people charged with serious crimes for things like postering or graffiti. Even if charges are dropped, the damage is done. It makes people think twice about speaking out.

• What are you watching for in the coming months?

We’re watching proposed anti-protest laws at the federal level and municipal bylaws that restrict protests near schools and religious institutions. We believe incidents of hate, violence and intimidation need to be addressed, but that the powers and laws to do so already exist. What’s being proposed by the federal government is overreach. 

We’re also concerned about the Strong Borders Act, which would expand surveillance and limit the rights of asylum seekers. These laws risk dissuading people from participating in protests or engaging in political debate.

• What can people do to protect their civil liberties?

Reach out to your elected officials—call, email, talk to them at events. ICLMG has tools on our website to help with that. Join local groups, show up to protests. These actions matter.

• ICLMG has been around for more than 20 years. What’s kept the work going?

Honestly, we wish we didn’t have to keep doing this work. But the issues haven’t gone away. What’s kept us going is the strength of our membership—organizations from across sectors who are committed to pushing back against the impacts of national security laws. That collective effort is what makes this work possible.