Calgary passes public behaviour bylaw

Calgary City Council voted Monday night to pass a public behaviour bylaw despite the protestationsof dozens who gathered outside City Hall.

The bylaw, which takes effect immediately, makes it illegal to spit, fight, carry a sheath knife, urinate or defecate in public or put one's feet up on public property.

Fines would range from $50 to $300.

Theprotesters, mostly from Calgary's anti-poverty community, said the bylaw is discriminatory and unfair. They believe the bylaw targets the homeless while ignoring the root cause of the problems a lack of affordable housing in Calgary.

"First, before passing a bylaw, is to ensure that people have a choice that they have shelters or housing so that they wouldn't have to [go to] the bathroom outside,"said Laurie Fuhr, one of the protest organizers.

Calgary high school student Blaine Kingcott told CBC News the bylaw should be scrapped because it violates everyone's rights.

"I think its forced people into an unfair social justice situation where they can't even sleep on a bench," he said. "That's unfair even to [people like] myself that I can't sleep on my public bench."

At least two aldermen had favoured a delay until next year so that implications of the bylaw could be considered.