EFF has signed on to a joint letter with more than 100 organizations and individuals to urge Canadian members of parliament to vote against Canada's anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51. The reckless bill contains vague language and proposes broad, unchecked surveillance powers that threaten the right to privacy and free expression in Canada. Canadian MPs are set to vote on Bill C-51 for the third and final time shortly after they return from recess on April 20. In an effort to educate fellow residents, Canadians are rallying to oppose Bill C-51 with a Week of Education to Stop C-51 from April 13 to April 20. With this legislation threatening to strip Canadians of some basic fundamental freedoms, it’s time for the House of Commons to listen to its constituents’ warnings and vote to dismiss Bill C-51.

You can read the full coalition statement below:

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister,

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, call for the immediate and unconditional dismissal of Bill C-51: Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015. We are extremely concerned by the potential impact of this legislation, which fails to strike the balance between protecting Canadians and safeguarding our cherished rights and freedoms as protected in the Charter.

Bill C-51 has been widely criticized by experts and Canadians across the country as being irresponsible, dangerous, and ineffective. This law will detrimentally impact our social frameworks, democratic values and fundamental rights. Our security agencies currently possess wide-ranging powers to address security threats, and the need for this broad legislation has not been demonstrated. While minor amendments to the bill have been suggested, amendments cannot repair such an extensive and dangerous piece of legislation.

As Canadians learn more about and better understand the bill, their concern for its contents and potential impact continues to grow. The bill’s consultation process has been incredibly hasty, not even allowing for our own Privacy Commissioner to speak to the potential impact that this broad legislation could have. Legislation that could in any way affect our rights and freedoms cannot be created in such a rushed manner. Canadians must be consulted, and expert recommendations and criticism must be factored into shaping the country’s policies.

We agree with the over 179,000 Canadians who have called on the government to scrap this irresponsible, dangerous and ineffective legislation through StopC51.ca and other petitions. Bill C-51 is fundamentally flawed and the proposed amendments do little to mitigate the erosion of our rights and freedoms if it is passed into law. We write to you requesting that the federal government listen to the wishes of the majority of Canadians, and withdraw this piece of legislation. We will not be pressured or scared into sacrificing our rights and freedoms.

Yours sincerely,

Amnesty Canada

Avaaz

BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA)

BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)

Canadian Association of Professional Employees / Association canadienne des employés professionnels

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)

Centre for Law and Democracy

Centre for Free Expression, Ryerson University

CWA/SCA Canada

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Free Dominion

Greenpeace Canada

Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI)

International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG)

Leadnow

National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)

OpenMedia

PEN Canada

Pirate Party of Canada

Privacy & Access Council of Canada

Privacy International

Public Service Alliance of Canada, BC Region

Real Art Gaining Strength

Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia (RTKNS)

Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC)

Telecommunities Canada

Youth Vote Canada

Dr. Adam Molnar, Lecturer, Department of Criminology, Deakin University

Alexander Ferworn, CD, Professor, Associate Chair and Graduate Program Director, Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University

Ali Miri, Professor, School of Computer Science, Ryerson University

Andrew Clement, Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Ann Cavoukian, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Privacy and Big Data Institute, Ryerson University

Professor Anver Saloojee, Ryerson University

April Lindgren, Associate Professor, Ryerson University School of Journalism

Arnold Amber, President, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression

Arthur Cockfield, Professor, Queen's University Faculty of Law

Avner Levin, Associate Professor and Chair, Law & Business Department, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University

Barry Grills, Past Chair, The Writers' Union of Canada, Past Chair, Book and Periodical Council

Bill Bonner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Regina

Carl Benn, PhD, Professor, Department of History, Ryerson University

Chris MacDonald, Associate Professor, Director, Jim Pattison Ethical Leadership Education & Research Program, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University

Dr. Christopher Parsons, Managing Director of the Telecom Transparency Project, Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

Cindy Blackstock, Associate Professor, University of Alberta

Professor Colin J. Bennett, Department of Political Science, University of Victoria

Dagmar Rajagopa, Ph.D., Retired Professor of Economics, Ryerson University

David H. Flaherty, Professor Emeritus, University of Western Ontario

Professor David Lyon, FRSC, Queen's University

Professor Dave Mason, School of Computer Science, Ryerson University

David Checkland, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Ryerson University

David J. Phillips, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Dwayne Winseck, Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University

Eva Hourihan Jansen, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

George F. Bielmeier, Professor Emeritus, School of Social Work, Ryerson University

Grant Buckler, Journalist, Member of CJFE Canadian Issues Committee

Greg Elmer, Professor of Media, Ryerson University

Heida Mani, Mining Consultant

Professor Henry Navarro, School of Fashion, Ryerson University

Jaclyn Law, Co-Editor, CJFE Review of Free Expression in Canada

Dr. Javad Alirezaie, PhD, PEng, SMIEEE, Professor, CVIP Lab Director, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Ryerson University

Jonathan Obar, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Joseph H. Carens, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto

Kathleen Greenaway, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Privacy & Cyber Crime Institute, Ryerson University

Kathryn Church, PhD, Director and Associate Professor, School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University

Laurence Kearley, Barrister and Solicitor, Associate Professor (Privacy Law), University of Ottawa

Leslie Regan Shade, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Linying (Lin) Dong, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management, Ryerson University

Lynn Lavallee, PhD, Associate Professor, Associate Director, School of Social Work, Ryerson University

Mary Elizabeth Rubens, Entertainment lndustry Professional, Producer, Writer, Actor

Matthew Bouchard, Doctoral Student, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Dr. Mehrunnisa Ali, Professor, Ryerson University

Mel Watkins, Emeritus Professor, University of Toronto

Michael Carter, PhD Candidate, Surveillance Studies Centre, Queen’s University

Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa

Mitu Sengupta, Associate Professor, Department of Politics & Public Administration, Ryerson University

Nalini K. Singh, Academic Librarian, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Neil Thomlinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Politics & Public Administration, Ryerson University

Paul Jonathan Saguil, Barrister and Solicitor, Member of CJFE Canadian Issues Committee

Paul Knox, Associate Professor, School of Journalism, Ryerson University

Peter Jacobsen, Founding partner, Bersenas Jacobsen Chouest Thomson Blackburn LLP, and Chair of CJFE Canadian Issues Committee

Peter Puxley, Former Parliamentary Bureau Chief, CBC Radio News, former Senior Producer on CBC TV's The National Magazine

Philip Coppack, Ph.D., Professor of Geography, Ryerson University

Philippa Lawson, Barrister & Solicitor

Rainerio Tayco, Communist Party of Canada

Rebecca Noone, PhD Student, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Reza Hamidizadeh, CEO, Ontario International Trading Inc.

Robert Hudyma, Professor Ryerson University

Ron Deibert, Director, The Canada Centre for Global Security Studies and the Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

Ronald Stagg, Professor, Ryerson University

Samuel Trosow, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Information & Media Studies, University of Western Ontario

Dr. Sandra Smeltzer, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario

Sarah Spinks, Secretary-Treasurer, Spin Free Productions Inc.

Dr. Sedef Arat-Koc, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University

Seyed M. Hashemi, Professor, Ryerson University

Stephanie Perrin, PhD candidate, University of Toronto

Terry Costantino, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Professor Toni Samek, University of Alberta

Valentina Capurri, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Ryerson University