City releases plan to prevent hate-related activities on city properties

The city wants to arm city security staff with greater powers. The recommendations come in the form of a draft policy that will be presented to the general issues committee.

The report, created by Legal and Risk Management Services Division and Public Works department, comes after mounting pressure to stop yellow vest and other far-right extremist groups who have been protesting on a weekly basis in front of city hall for months.

The yellow vest movement began in Europe in reaction to increasing gas prices. But the North American version of the movement has latched on to issues like immigration, and has been associated with far right groups. In Hamilton, notorious white nationalist Paul Fromm has been spotted at yellow vest events.

Tensions running high

Tensions in the city have been running even higher in recent weeks after some yellow vesters appeared to join religious protesters at a Pride festival in Gage Park last month that saw homophobic signs and several people injured.

On June 26, Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger stopped a city council meeting after shouting from angry LGBTQ residents.

Two days after that, people placed signs outside of Eisenberger's house in relation to how the violence at the Pride event and subsequent events were being handled.

On Friday,Eisenberger apologized for the "fear and pain" felt by the LGBTQ community following the Pride festival violence.