Protesters rally against Bill C-51 at Regina's Victoria Park

Representatives of both the NDP and the Green Party joined concerned citizens in speaking at a rally against Bill C-51 on Saturday in Regina.

Erin Weir, the federal NDP candidate for the Regina-Lewvan riding, addressed the group of more than 30 peopleand told reporters that the anti-terror bill is too broad-sweeping.

The bill wouldgrant increased powers to theCanadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

NDP day of actionagainst BillC-51

"Clearly terrorism is a big problem and we need to respond to it, but Ithink Bill C-51 is the wrong response because it takes away Canadian civil liberties, which is what we should be trying to protect and defend," Weir said.

Instead, Weir said it's important to conduct outreach work in vulnerable communities and try to prevent radicalization.

"We needto make sure people are included and properly integrated into society," he said. "A lot more needs to be done to go out into communities that are disenfranchised and marginalizedand see what's happening."

Weir said he understands the importance of a strong police presence in cases where criminal activity is taking place. However, he said hefeels police already have the power to conduct good work under existing legislation.

The Regina protesttook place on an NDP day of actionagainst Bill C-51.Weir said he and other NDP representatives planned to go from from door to door andspread themessage around the city.

A previous national day of action in March saw protests taking place around the country, with some attracting hundreds of protesters.

• Hundreds in Saskatoon protest proposed anti-terror bill

DifferingGreen and Liberal stances

Sara Piotrofsky, the Green Party provincial candidate forRegina-Rosemont, helped organize Saturday's protest and said that she is worried about what these limits on civil liberties could mean for environmental activists and other political gatherings.

"Environmental protesters are one of the groups that Harper has been targeting in the past, so of course that's also a huge concern of mine,"Piotrofsky said.

The Liberal Party of Canada is putting its support behind Bill C-51, but cautions that it's up to the federal government not to abuse any powers that may result from the bill.

"This bill can be improved, but on the whole, it does include measures that will help keep Canadians safer. As such, we will support it," Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau saidin remarks posted to the party's website this past February.

The bill is available for viewingat the external link on the left hand side of the page.