In early May, galled by the Ford government’s cuts to education, a group of high school and elementary students gathered at Queen’s Park. The young demonstrators, who ranged in age from 10 to 18, drew messages of protest with sidewalk chalk.

Later that month, one of the protest organizers, a 15-year-old, got a letter in the mail. It was an invoice from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for cleaning up “defacement/vandalism” at the event.

The bill was for $1,444.51.

“From our perspective, it really doesn’t make a lot of sense,” said Amina Vance, 18, one of the protest organizers and a member of the Students Say No movement.

“Sidewalk chalk is something that you can blow on and it disappears. It’s literally just coloured dust on the ground.”

Jackie Gordon, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, said that the student’s demonstration “took place despite not receiving the requisite approval,” although the organizers did meet with security staff in advance and signed a permit application.

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At that meeting, the rules were explained, including that obscenity is not permitted, and that the group is responsible for cleanup at the end of the event, Gordon said.

“During this event, chalk was used by students who began writing on the roadway, walkways and statuary; some of what was written was profane and inappropriate,” said Gordon, who added that Queen’s Park attracts many elementary school children every year.

“Given the extent and nature of the writing, it needed to be erased immediately and a professional cleaning crew was brought in for this purpose.”

The cost of that cleaning crew was $1,444.51.

Vance readily admitted that some of the chalk messages were profane: one was a drawing of a hand with its middle finger raised over the words “Doug Ford.”

She pointed out that many of these messages were written by children themselves. The middle finger was drawn by a 10-year-old, she said.

“The argument about children sort of falls apart when you’re looking at a protest for cuts to children’s education,” said Vance, who just graduated high school. “Young children being at this protest that was organized by kids for other students …. It’s not like a militant event.”

She said the organizers of the protest were told that their permit for the protest was approved, and that it would be mailed to her, but it never came.

Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon said that “The Legislative Assembly regularly assists members of the public in hosting safe, peaceful demonstrations and often go above and beyond to provide support.

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“However, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is also fully prepared to hold those accountable who fail to respect laws and the rules governing the use of the building and the grounds.”

Vance asked, “Really the question is, what exactly do you value? Why was that so egregious of an action for children to take when children are responding to this much more serious thing?”

The student organizers have not yet paid the bill.