Description

This summer has seen a drastic rise in numbers and sound volume of street preachers at Yonge and Dundas square. Every weekend without fail they descend on the high traffic intersection with an arsenal of extremely loud megaphones casting warnings of fire and brimstone that can be heard from a far. They sometimes block the road or sidewalk and distract drivers while harassing tourists and locals alike. I understand that free speech is important to any democracy and people should have the right to preach their beliefs in a public forum, however they do not have the right to use electronic sound amplifications that drown out any opposing views and risk damaging people's ears. The noise by-law specifically prohibits using these megaphones but the Toronto police seem hesitant to enforce this by-law.