An Act to amend the Criminal Code (banning symbols of hate)

Bill C-229 was a Liberal Private Member's Bill amending the Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46) to prohibit the display of certain symbols of hate including the swastika, Confederate Battle Flag, and Hezbollah Banner in public spaces. Brought after Statistics Canada reported a 71-percent year-over-year increase in police-reported hate crimes in 2021 versus 2020 (3,360 versus 1,950), with antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents growing particularly fast. The bill paralleled the German Strafgesetzbuch section 86 prohibition of unconstitutional symbols and similar Austrian, French, and other European frameworks. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association raised Charter section 2(b) free-expression concerns. Did not pass second reading.