MONCTON, NB: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that the City of Moncton (City) has filed its Statement of Defence in a lawsuit brought by Burn 24/7 Canada Worship Ministries Society over the cancellation of a Christian worship event at Riverfront Park in July 2025.

In its defence, the City claims that it cancelled the event “to ensure public safety and to prevent anticipated hate speech.” It denies that cancelling the event restricted freedom of expression and argues in the alternative that safety concerns justified its decision.

The City says it feared that people near Riverfront Park, “including children,” could face an unsafe environment. Yet its Statement of Defence does not say the City asked organizers for their security plan or worked with them to address those concerns before cancelling the event.

Burn 24/7 Canada, a Christian non-profit, planned a free worship event featuring American musician Sean Feucht at Riverfront Park on July 24, 2025. The Society had hosted Mr. Feucht at prayer events elsewhere in Canada in previous years without incident.

The City approved the booking on April 30, and organizers continued to arrange event details with City staff. On July 22, the City cancelled it, citing messages from opponents who planned to protest and concerns about possible interactions with attendees.

The Society maintains that its event complied with City policies and that organizers had prepared a security plan. It argues that the City yielded to opposition to the event instead of addressing any legitimate safety concerns while protecting peaceful expression.

Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir said, “This case concerns a basic constitutional principle: governments cannot suppress peaceful expression simply because others threaten to protest it.”

He added, “Public officials have a duty to protect freedom of expression, not surrender it to those who oppose a speaker’s message.”

Organizers found an alternative venue at Bar None Camp in Taxis River only hours before the event. The Society says the remote location and last-minute move sharply reduced attendance and caused additional expenses and lost donations.

The Society seeks a declaration that the City violated its freedom of expression and $50,000 in Charter damages. The City asks the Court to dismiss the action with costs and argues that the Society should have challenged the cancellation through judicial review.

The Justice Centre is Canada’s leading civil liberties organization defending Charter rights and freedoms in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion. Founded in 2010, the Justice Centre funds lawyers across Canada, relies entirely on voluntary donations to carry out its mission, and issues official tax receipts to donors.