Crowds took to the streets in several cities across the Canadanotably in the capital Ottawa and Toronto, the most populous in the country, shouting and singing to protest against policies related to gender identity in schools.

A police corridor separated protests and counter-protests related to school policies, spanning states including New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

These provinces require that young people obtain parental consent so that teachers can use the names and pronouns of their choice.

The demonstrators against the gender ideology taught in schools have been supported by the group called “1MillionMarch4Children”, an organization which declares its “mission to unite humanity around our common goal of protecting children from premature sexualization and potentially harmful indoctrination.”

They carried posters asserting unity against “gender ideology” in educational institutions across the country.

They argue that schools expose their children to inappropriate content related to sexuality and gender identity, and defend policies that require parental consent as a protective measure.

Parental consent

The New Brunswick government played a crucial role in sparking debate across Canada by changing the province’s gender equality policy in June.

This change now requires transgender and non-binary students under the age of 16 to obtain parental consent so that their teachers can use the first names of their choice.

According to North News, Premier Blaine Higgs participated in the protest outside the legislature, telling reporters he struggled to understand why his government’s policies were controversial.

“I think parents should educate themselves about what their children are being taught and what is important for them to learn in school and what is important for parents to make decisions with children under 16 years old.”