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When an activist wanted to stage an inflammatory “Everybody Draw Mohammed” event on Parliament Hill last year, the Department of Canadian Heritage naturally thought of first things first.

Chairs.

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The group must be told not to use more than 10 chairs, public servants noted. More than 10 chairs are not permitted at a Hill event, and this caused concern.

Caricatures of Mohammed have caused deadly violence: First in Europe, and then in May of last year when two men were shot dead as they attacked an Everybody Draw Mohammed event in Texas. A security guard was wounded. That event was set up, depending on one’s point of view, either as a defence of free speech or an insult to Muslims.

Enter Ottawa’s own drawing event, proposed for the Hill. And documents now released under an access-to-information request show that it set government emails buzzing.

But not about security. They were worried about observing the seating rules, at least at first.