Activists get Ottawa city hall ban after disrupting city budget meeting

UPDATE |Robin Browne's trespass to property notice banning him from city hall was later reviewed and modified to limit it only to city council chambers during council meetings, rather than the building as a whole. The trespass was to remainin force until Feb. 28, 2024.

Ottawa city council's 2023 budget meeting was disrupted early in the proceedings by protesters unhappy with increases in the police budget.

About 20 minutes after the meeting started, a handful of protesters walked into the council horseshoe, encouraging councillors to vote against the Ottawa Police Services budget, which calls for an additional $15.2 million this year.

Robin Browne and Bailey Gauthier who both advocatefor changes to policefunding and are frequent speakers at police services board meetings refused to adhere to requests from security personneltoleave the council chambers.

Four police officers eventually escorted the two activistsoff the premises, and the meeting resumed.

The exchange between the protesters and police was peaceful. Browne and Gauthier have been banned from Ottawa city hallfor a year.