The P.E.I. Public Schools Branch is asking the City of Charlottetown to consider a bylaw that would prevent protesters gathering near school grounds.

The idea is in response to anti-abortion protesters who picketed outside some Island high schools last year.

The protests were on public property, police said, not on school grounds. Protesters gathered at the Charlottetown Rural, Colonel Gray, Bluefield and Three Oaks high schools.

While the protests weren't violent, some of the signs brought by protesters included graphic images, which led to some heated confrontations between protesters and bystanders.

"If there's a way we can prevent that any further by investigating the possibility of some bubble or safe zones around schools, we're willing to do that," said Brad McConnell, a deputy chief of police who is on the city's bylaw committee.

Police have plans to reach out to other police forces across the country, says Brad McConnell, who is a member of the city's bylaw committee. (Laura Meader/CBC)

Preventing future confrontations

Charlottetown police said avoiding similar incidents in the future could mean getting the province involved.

"We can create a bylaw in Charlottetown and maybe prevent it here, but that wouldn't stop someone from going to other jurisdictions like Summerside," McConnell said.

Ann Marie Tomlins is one of the founders of Show the Truth Canada and was one of the organizers of the protests that took place last year.

Tomlins said the group avoided schools where younger students were present. She doubts a safe zone or bubble around schools would stand up to a charter challenge.

Ann Marie Tomlins is one of the founders of Show the Truth Canada and helped organize protests that took place last year. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

'Bubble zones'

"We notified the police that we were coming and made sure we stood exactly where they told us we would be standing, which was legal ground," she said.

"In order to prevent or create what they call a safe zone, which is usually known as a bubble zone, it would take quite a bit of legal action and I'm not sure that it's a possibility."

Police said they have plans to reach out to other police forces across the country. They said once they gather information they will report back with their findings to city council.

The anti-abortion group said it currently does not have plans to hold protests on P.E.I. this year.

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