Court grants injunction to silence honking in downtown Ottawa for 10 days

An Ottawa judge has granted an interim injunction seeking to silence the honking horns that have plagued residents of downtown Ottawa for the past 11 days.

"Tooting a horn is not an expression of any great thought I'm aware of," said Justice Hugh McLean during a court hearing in Ottawa Monday.

The temporaryinjunction order is effective immediately and is meantto silence the horns at all hours for the next 10 days. It coversthe zone north of the Queensway, the city's main east-west artery.

Lawyer Paul Champ saidair horns and train horns are blasted at sound levels of 105 to 120 decibels for prolonged periods and can causepermanent hearing damage.

"Every hour this goes by, there is harm to the people of Centretown," he toldthe hearing.

Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing three protest organizers named in the suit, argued that his clients Tamara Lich,Benjamin Dichterand Chris Barber are not personally responsible for the noise.

He also said that what Ottawa is experiencing is agrassroots protestagainstpandemic measures.

"There is more evidence before you that downtownOttawa residentsdon't feel they're being harmed and this is part of the democratic process," he said.

The judge said that while theparticipants have a right to protest, taking their horns away would not rob them of that right.

The request for an injunction came out of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday by lawyerChamp on behalf of his client Zexi Li,a 21-year-old public servant.

WATCH | Injunction granted to silence honking in downtown Ottawa:

Ottawa police ask for reinforcement as courts silence horns

3 years ago

Duration 2:40

Ottawa police are asking for more reinforcements to fight protests that city officials have started calling an insurrection. Meanwhile, a court injunction silenced the honking horns to the relief of area residents.

It sought an injunction prohibiting the defendants, or any other participant in the anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest,from using vehicle horns in the vicinity of downtown.

According to the order, police are now authorizedto arrest and remove anyonethey believe is aware of the order and is contraveningit. They also have the discretion torelease anyone from arrest if thatperson agrees in writing to obey the order.

The defendants are also ordered to publicize the injunction onsocial media.

The court is adjourneduntil Feb. 16, at which point all sideswill discuss continuing the order.