St. John's city council approves permit for senior's pro-Palestine sign

A St. John's senior will be allowed to keep the pro-Palestine mural on her retaining wall, after two complaints prompted the city to threaten her with up to $5,000 in fines.

During Tuesday's city council meeting, members unanimously accepted the built heritage committee's recommendation to approve Marilyn Porter's permit application for the sign.

"I'm really pleased that the council did that," Porter said in an interview with CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show. "I actually don't mind that I had to go through that whole process because it's given it so much more visibility."

As originally reported by online publication The Independent in November, Porter received a letter from a city building inspector informing her that she needed a permit for the sign.

The letter said if she didn't get a permit and refused to take down the sign she could be fined up to $5,000.

A statement from city spokesperson Jackie O'Brien says the city received two complaints about the mural, both pointing to violation of city signage bylaws. 

"No political motivation for their removal was referenced," said O'Brien.

Porter, a long-time supporter of the pro-Palestinian movement, said some young activists asked if they could paint a mural on the retaining wall bordering her property. The mural, which reads "arms embargo now," is a reference to a website calling on the federal government to end military ties with Israel.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 44,400 Palestinian people and injured countless others. Israel began its war in the region in October 2023, after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage, according to Israeli numbers.

Though the mural specifically references the Israel-Hamas war, Porter said she also believes it represents a broader, anti-war message.

Porter submitted a permit application for the mural, which made its way through the city's built heritage committee — which recommended council approve the sign — and finally made to Tuesday's council meeting.

Ward 2 Coun. Ophelia Ravencroft enthusiastically supported the motion to approve the mural.

"The fact that this is something that the resident in question was put through indicates, frankly, that we need to have a good, hard look at our heritage bylaws to examine whether cases like this are merited," she said.

Porter, meanwhile, said the process would not dissuade her from putting up similar signage in the future.

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