Article by Rebel News staff.

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Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God. So Ezra Levant marked the holiday by taking part in one of his favourite pastimes, reading a court document. This time, it was the City of Moncton's statement of defence, filed Sept. 22, explaining why it cancelled a Christian worship concert in a public park.

American worship leader Sean Feucht was booked for a free Canadian tour called Let Us Worship. Moncton approved Feucht's event at Riverfront Park on April 30 and spent three months working out details. The application described "a free, public, live Christian music event" bringing churches together "to pray for the city and the region," with baptisms.

Two days before the show, a feminist group, a Pride group and others published an open letter with about 100 signatures. The next day, the city cancelled, citing its code of conduct and "evolving safety and security considerations."

Ezra noted the three-page code says nothing about events, permits or protests, but does ban discrimination based on religion. The concert moved to a camp more than two hours away. Of 1,000 expected, 200 made it. Organizers sued for $50,000 in Charter damages.

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The city's defence says its safety concerns "arose from the potential interaction between attendees and individuals opposed to the event." The danger, by the city's own account, was the protesters, so its solution was to cancel the Christians. The filing also says the cancellation was meant "to prevent anticipated hate speech."

"Nobody had said anything. Nobody was charged with anything," Ezra said. "That is like a pre-crime arrest for a hymn." The city even admits it limited freedom of expression, then argues the Christians should pay its legal bills. "That's a heckler's veto," Ezra said.

But the cancellation of Feucht's events wasn't limited to just one city — Halifax, Charlottetown, Quebec City, Gatineau and Vaughan all blocked Feucht's events. Only Alberta let the show go ahead in public. 

In Montreal, a church that opened its doors to him was fined $2,500, and someone threw smoke bombs during the service while Rebel News' Alexa Lavoie was there. A suspect was charged with mischief only after more than a year of her reporting. Rebel News and The Democracy Fund are now funding the church's court fight.

"Once the government accepts it, the hecklers learn. Every time they threaten, they win," Ezra said. "Sing if you like. Just not in a park in Moncton. They might cancel you."

To support the fight, visit LetUsWorship.ca.